Tag Archives: AstraZeneca

Gulp.

This afternoon.

Meanwhile…

Canada’s vaccine advisory committee is recommending immediately suspending the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in Canadians under 55 following reports of rare but potentially fatal blood clots in Europe that appear to be connected to the shot.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) updated its guidelines to provinces and territories against the use of the vaccine for younger Canadians on Monday over safety concerns.

Why Canada is suspending use of AstraZeneca vaccine in people under 55 (CBC)

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

#TakeOffYourMask trends in Ireland.

This evening.

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Earlier…

Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE at Dr Steevens’ Hospital for the weekly HSE operational update on the response to Covid-19

This afternoon.

Weekly HSE briefing at Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin.

Ahead of a decision expected this evening from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) whether or not the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is safe to continue to use after incidents of blood clotting.

“We have had a number of clotting events, in which there has been no link in terms of cause and effect of those vaccinations. They may well have been coincidental but they’re under investigation.

“In any population based screening program other things will happen that will happen anyhow in unvaccinated people – illness, hospitalisation, even death.

“There have been a number of cases of clotting and none of the unusual type, and it’s to be expected with this heightened sense of awareness that there will be improved reporting on those to HPRA (Health Products Regulatory Authority].

It will investigate these and inform us if there’s any is any cause for concern, and none has been expressed to date.”

Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE

Covid-19: HSE holds briefing, EMA decision due (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Music teacher Sandro Tognatti died hours after getting AstraZeneca vaccine

This morning.

Prosecutors in Italy have launched a manslaughter investigation after a music teacher there died hours after getting the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Via New York Post:

Sandro Tognatti, 57, got jabbed in his hometown Biella on Saturday afternoon and went to bed that night with a high fever, his wife, Simona Riussi, told Italian media.

She called an ambulance the next morning but the clarinetist could not be saved, she said.

….Prosecutors in the northern Italian region of Piedmont opened the probe into his death later that day, according to the Italian wire service Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA).

They also seized nearly 400,000 shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the same batch.

So far, officials have insisted there has yet to be a direct link between Tognatti’s death and his shot.

Italy opens manslaughter case after teacher dies hours after getting AstraZeneca vaccine (New York Post)

Yesterday: Target Market

This afternoon.

It’ll be grand.

Meanwhile…

Thailand has  became the first Asian country to halt the use of the jab over safety concerns, shortly after Denmark announced a two-week pause to its nationwide rollout after reports of blood clots and one death.

In a setback to Europe’s ailing vaccination campaign, seven other countries have also suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot: Norway, Iceland, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Austria and Italy, meanwhile, have said that they will stop using certain batches of the vaccine as a precautionary measure.

Many other nations, however, have defended their use of the shot and said they will continue their respective inoculation campaigns…

More countries suspend AstraZeneca vaccinations over blood clot fears: What we know so far (CNBC)

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Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly

This morning.

Via RTÉ news:

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said the issue with the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine is very frustrating and he said he spoke to the company about his concerns with supply last night.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said the AstraZeneca representative said the company was committed to the total volumes being delivered to Ireland but could not give dates.

Mr Donnelly said the company admitted to having “unanticipated problems” with supply chains and having a very significant manufacturing capacity…

Minister says AstraZeneca commits to fixing issues but no dates for deliveries (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

Um.

Oh.

RollingNews

Oh.

This morning/afternoon.

The European Commission published a redacted version of its contract with drugs giant AstraZeneca on Friday, hoping to prove the company had breached a commitment on coronavirus vaccine deliveries.

Releasing the document, EU spokesman Eric Mamer said it would show that the contract covers AstraZeneca plants in the UK and that “these plants will contribute to the effort … to deliver doses to the European Union”.

EU publishes redacted AstraZeneca vaccine contract (RTÉ)

Yesterday: Non-Vintage

Meanwhile…

Ah here.

This afternoon.

Further to yesterday’s Astrazeneca/EU shenanigans…

…and with the Anglo/Swedish pharma giant having denied claims that its’ vaccine was substantially less effective among the over-65s…

…via AP:

A draft recommendation from Germany’s vaccination advisory committee calls for offering the AstraZeneca vaccine only to people aged 18-64 for now, citing what it says is insufficient data to judge its effectiveness for older people.

The European Medicines Agency is expected to approve the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in the 27-nation European Union on Friday.

…Germany’s permanent vaccination commission said that “there currently is not sufficient data to assess the vaccination effectiveness from 65 years.”

German draft doesn’t recommend AstraZeneca jab for over-65s (WBNG)

Yesterday: Vial Behaviour

Earlier: Zero Sum Game

This morning.

AstraZeneca has pulled out from a meeting with the European Union scheduled for today to discuss Covid-19 vaccine supplies, an EU official said.

The Commission is demanding more information about the company’s projected 60 percent cut to the EU’s deliveries in the first quarter of 2021.

Via RTÉ:

The official added that the EU keeps asking the company to provide further explanations about its announcement to cut vaccine deliveries to the EU in the first quarter

The European Union has also asked the pharma giant to publish the contract it signed with the bloc on Covid-19 vaccine supplies after the company’s chief executive revealed confidential clauses.

Hmm.

Meanwhile…

Yesterday.

*cough*

EU says AstraZeneca pulled out of meeting over vaccine contract (RTÉ)

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