On Thursday, Germany, France and several other EU countries decided to continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) considered the shot “safe and effective”.
Germany will resume stabbing administration on Friday, according to Health Minister Jens Spahn. The vaccine, however, will come with new tips on possible side effects.
“The common goal of the federal government and the 16 states is for vaccinations with AstraZeneca to begin tomorrow,” Spahn said.
Germany had previously suspended the vaccine as a precaution, and Spahn promised to make a decision on the vaccine after the EMA guidance.
“The EMA analysis has confirmed the action we took,” Spahn continued. “It was right to suspend vaccines as a precaution until the accumulation of cases with this rare type of thrombosis could be analyzed.”
Where are the other European countries located?
France, Italy, Latvia, Bulgaria and Slovenia will also move forward with the AstraZeneca vaccine following EMA guidelines. French Prime Minister Jean Castex plans to receive the AstraZeneca shot on Friday to increase public confidence in the vaccine.
“The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is effective, as the European regulator has pointed out. It only has relatively rare side effects,” Castex said.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said vaccines against AstraZeneca “will resume tomorrow”, adding that “the government’s priority is to carry out as many vaccines as possible in the shortest possible time”.
Spain will reintroduce vaccines against AstraZeneca on Wednesday, but will exclude some demographic groups to minimize health risks.
Lithuania will resume use of AstraZeneca on Friday, according to Health Minister Arunas Dulkys. Dulkys will join Lithuania’s president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker on Monday to obtain the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Norway and Sweden to wait now
Norway and Sweden will keep the AstraZeneca vaccine suspended while their public health agencies assess the situation.
“Vaccines with AstraZeneca will remain suspended until we have a complete view of the situation,” the director of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Camilla Stoltenberg, told reporters, who said it was “premature” to reach a final conclusion on the vaccine.
Sweden has said it “needs a few days” before making a decision on the coup.