WARSAW, POLAND (AP) – Many Europeans are desperate for a coronavirus vaccine. But not just any vaccine.
As AstraZeneca traits are spreading to European Union nations this month and joining the doses of Pfizer and Moderna that are already available, some people are refusing to be offered a vaccine that they perceive, quite or not, as a second best.
Poland began vaccinating teachers on Friday with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and some had suspicions about putting a vaccine online that they believe is less effective than others.
Ewelina Jankowska, the principal of a primary and secondary school in the Wilanow district in southern Warsaw, said no one at her school was excited about getting the AstraZeneca shot, although many enrolled, eager for any protection against a virus that has raised their lives and their students’ schooling.
“I’m still more afraid of the disease than the AstraZeneca vaccine,” said Jankowska, who became infected with COVID-19 in November and had a very slow recovery.
AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company, developed its vaccine with Oxford University. Although regulators in more than 50 countries, including the EU drug watchdog, have authorized its widespread use, it has attracted more criticism than others because of concerns about its human trials.
Several European countries have recommended the drug only for children under 65 and other countries have recommended it for children under 55, as AstraZeneca trials included a relatively small number of older people.
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot acknowledged the criticism, but said regulators had reviewed the data and considered the vaccine to be safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines are scarce, he said, and AstraZeneca’s shot offers high levels of protection against serious disease, which is the most important benchmark in the fight against a virus that has killed more than 2.3 million of people all over the world.
“Is perfect? No, it’s not perfect, but it’s great, “Soriot said Thursday.” We’ll save thousands of lives and that’s why we come to work every day. “
The World Health Organization says the AstraZeneca vaccine is approximately 63% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses. This is less than the 95% efficacy reported by Pfizer and Moderna, but experts warn against these comparisons as the studies were done at different times and under different conditions. In addition, they have all been shown to be extremely effective in preventing serious illness and death.
“If you are offered an approved vaccine, take it,” said Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “It simply came to our notice then. Vaccines are the way of the world towards a certain normality ”.
French President Emmanuel Macron angered scientists last month when he called the AstraZeneca vaccine “almost ineffective” for people over 65, a comment that came hours before the European Medicines Agency approved it. and said it could be used for all adults, including those over 65. Those who criticized Macron argued that he had spoken irresponsibly and had encouraged vaccination skepticism.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran, 40, noted this week that the AstraZeneca vaccine demonstrates government confidence in it for those under 65.
To the problems of AstraZeneca have been added the criticisms of the EU on the scarcity of delivery, the lack of approval in the United States and a preliminary study that raises questions about the capacity of the vaccine to combat a variant COVID-19 discovery in South Africa. In its favor, however, is that it is cheaper and can be stored at refrigerator temperature, not at the much colder temperatures required by Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
In Cyprus, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou warned that opting for one another means delaying inoculations, given the limited deliveries of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the coming weeks, and noted that “all three vaccines drastically reduce hospitalizations and deaths “.
However, in Poland, Spain and Italy, some unions complained that their members were expected to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, expressing concern that they should be treated as less important than the groups receiving the doses of AstraZeneca. Pfizer or Modern.
Spain’s police unions have expressed concern over the government’s decision to administer AstraZeneca shots to police, military, firefighters and teachers.
Some Italian private-sector doctors downplay AstraZeneca’s shots, saying they want Pfizer’s or Moderna’s shots targeted at public health workers.
“I am not a useless AstraZeneca. But for a population at risk, health workers should use the same vaccination strategy for everyone and not create any discrimination, “said Dr. Paolo Mezzana, a plastic surgeon in Rome who helps manage a group of Facebook private doctors. They have posted refusals to accept AstraZeneca’s shot after vaccinations began this week.
In Poland, the government announced earlier this month that the planned delivery of more than a million doses of AstraZeneca meant teachers could get their shots ahead of schedule because the vaccine would not be given to older adults.
But instead of expressing relief, the head of the main teachers ’union, Slawomir Broniarz, criticized the use of the vaccine in comments which in turn were the focus of fire by scientists and the government.
Michal Dworczyk, who heads the government’s vaccination effort, said he regretted “that some irresponsible politicians or unions have tried to scare teachers or cause this anxiety by giving false information about the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
However, a sense of disinterest has been established among teachers, who have already been in conflict with the government for years over low wages and unpopular reforms.
Patrycja Swistowska, who teaches second-year classes at Wilanow School, said she enrolled in the AstraZeneca shooting despite her fears and confusion.
“I think teachers are treated a little worse and this is the vaccine they offered us. We were not offered the vaccines given to doctors and other professional groups, “said Swistowska, 39.” I’m disoriented and I don’t feel good about it. We get paid worse and this is another example of how our place is shown to us ”.
In Italy, the head of the SAP police union, Stefano Paoloni, argued that if officers believe they are receiving a less effective vaccine through the police force, they can choose not to expect to receive another shot later when the the rest of the population is vaccinated. This would defeat the strategy of vaccinating so many people at risk as quickly as possible.
Some unions are moving forward with the launch of AstraZeneca without complaining, reflecting gratitude for protection.
Dr. Arianna Patricarca, a 52-year-old Italian dentist who received AstraZeneca’s shot on Thursday, considered it “a great opportunity and I’m very glad she did.”
Warsaw director of early childhood education Agnieszka Grabowska also welcomed the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday.
“It’s a great relief,” Grabowska, 48, said, adding that she was exhausted after a year of pandemic.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment all year,” he said.
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Winfield reported from Rome. Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London; Aritz Parra in Madrid; Menelaus Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; Angela Charlton to Paris; and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw contributed.
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