Despite the fact that the European Medicines Agency believes that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks, many patients are still wary of Anglo-Swedish serum.

Eligible for vaccination with AstraZeneca, they make every effort to receive instead of Pfizer or Moderna.

The announcements are meant to be reassuring, but mistrust is always in order.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Wednesday that while blood clots should be listed as a "very rare" side effect of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, the benefits outweigh the risks.

But mistrust has settled in among many French people and the conclusions of the WHO and the EMA do not seem to reassure them.

Some go out of their way to be vaccinated with a dose of Pfizer or Moderna, even when they are not eligible. 

"We didn't want to take this risk" 

This is the case with Isabelle.

This 50-year-old woman was eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine but was afraid of its possible side effects.

So she made arrangements with the vaccination center on her street, which only injects Pfizer.

"The person in charge of the center told me to register on Doctolib and to say that I had more severe comorbidities to pass the access barrier. So I made an appointment and I had my first dose. Pfizer on March 28, "she testifies at the microphone of Europe 1.

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Same story with Florence's mother, who was on her pharmacist's list to receive a dose of AstraZeneca.

At 72, she preferred to decline and wait until she could receive a dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

"My mother is 72 years old, she has bleeding problems. The problems you hear about AstraZeneca correspond perfectly to the problems she may have. We really didn't want to take that risk."

While waiting to be vaccinated, she continues to limit her outings as much as possible.

Doctors reassure their patients

This mistrust has consequences in doctors' offices, which only vaccinate AstraZeneca.

One appointment in ten is canceled, indicates Jacques Battistoni, the president of the union of general practitioners of France.

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And he must reassure all his other patients.

“People ask us if the side effects are frequent, to which we answer that they are exceptional. And we put them in perspective the risk of catching the disease. It always takes a few minutes in a consultation, but in general we manages to get patient buy-in. "

Despite everything, no dose of AstraZeneca remains on his arms.

His waiting list is so long that he always finds volunteer patients.