The Hague (AFP)

The European Medicines Agency announced on Friday to examine a possible link between Johnson & Johnson's anti-Covid vaccine and cases of blood clots, and to expand its investigation into that of AstraZeneca, already implicated for the same kind of symptoms , to vascular problems.

On Wednesday, the EMA had already recognized that blood clots should be listed as a side effect, "very rare" but serious, of the AstraZeneca vaccine, especially in young subjects.

She said on Friday that she had launched a study on another vaccine, that of the American giant Johnson & Johnson, for similar side effects, after four cases, including one fatal, were reported.

The EU has cleared this vaccine but has not started using it.

In addition, the EMA is also investigating possible links between AstraZeneca and vascular problems: it announced Friday it was examining five cases of a capillary leak syndrome, "characterized by the leakage of fluid from the blood vessels, causing the tissue swelling and a drop in blood pressure ".

Both vaccines, Johnson & Johnson like AstraZeneca, use adenovirus vector technology.

- Mistrust -

For example, it is reserved for over 30s in the United Kingdom, where it has been widely used, over 65s in Sweden, and over 60s in the Philippines, Portugal, the Netherlands or Germany, which is now considering buying the controversial Sputnik V from Russia.

The Spanish region of Castile and Leon and Denmark have completely discontinued the use of the AstraZeneca.

And Hong Kong on Friday suspended, to "avoid any waste", its order of AstraZeneca, fearing side effects and its ineffectiveness against new variants of the coronavirus.

On Friday, before the EMA's announcements, the French health authorities had indicated that the 533,000 people under the age of 55 already vaccinated with a first dose of AstraZeneca would be offered a different vaccine for the 2nd dose, with messenger RNA - i.e. that of Pfizer / BioNTech, that is to say that of Moderna.

The pace of vaccinations is crucial for France, which is facing a violent third epidemic wave causing an explosion in hospitalizations and killing more than 300 people per day.

The new rule was deemed "completely logical" by the French Minister of Health Olivier Véran, himself concerned.

But soon after, the World Health Organization (WHO) repeated that it could not recommend a change in the anti-Covid vaccine between two doses, for lack of "adequate data", and that it had already called for specific research on the possible interchangeability of vaccines.

The effectiveness of the latter remains unclear in the face of variants of the coronavirus.

Anxious to anticipate this problem, the EU, much criticized for its initial slowness in ordering vaccines and distributing them, will launch negotiations to order 1.8 billion additional doses of so-called "2nd generation" vaccines against Covid- 19, with a binding monthly delivery schedule that would begin this year and continue into 2022 and 2023, a source at the European Commission told AFP.

- Tighten the anti-Covid law -

In Germany, the government will toughen pandemic legislation next week, so it can impose restrictions on the whole country.

This reform will make it possible to overcome, if necessary, local resistance in this country which gives important prerogatives in health matters to the Länder.

“The aim is to create uniform national rules,” Chancellery spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer explained.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who defends a firm line on health restrictions, had severely called to order at the end of March the leaders of the Länder, accused of not respecting them.

In Norway, Prime Minister Erna Solberg was fined Friday 20,000 crowns (nearly 2,000 euros) for breaking her own anti-Covid rules: she organized a meal exceeding the number of guests allowed (13 instead of 10) for her 60th birthday ... which she herself did not attend, having gone to the hospital with eye problems.

The Norwegian press hailed "a good day for the rule of law".

- Shortage in India -

The pandemic has infected more than 133,908,150 people and killed at least 2,903,907 people worldwide since the end of 2019, according to an AFP count on Friday.

As of Thursday, 13,619 new deaths and 799,649 new cases were recorded worldwide, with Brazil in the lead (4,249 dead - a new daily record), followed by the United States (999) and India (780).

In Brazil, whose hospitals are in a "critical" situation in the face of the influx of patients, the Supreme Court has ordered the Senate to set up a commission of inquiry to assess the management of the pandemic by the government of the president of far right Jair Bolsonaro.

The latter ruled out any confinement, yet demanded by the health authorities after the hecatomb known by the country in March (more than 66,000 deaths from Covid-19).

In India, hospitals in the state of Maharashtra, the most affected by the second wave, stopped vaccinating on Friday for lack of doses, when the country recorded a record of contaminations (+132,000 in 24 hours).

In the economic capital Bombay, 25 hospitals out of 71 private establishments responsible for vaccination ran out of stocks on Thursday, according to local authorities.

So far, 94 million doses have been administered in the country, for a population of 1.3 billion.

burx-mba / sg

© 2021 AFP