It is not a very happy moment for the European vaccination campaign. To shake it are some events related to Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which is currently one of the most distributed vaccines on the continent, including Italy. AstraZeneca's serum ended up in the crosshairs of the health authorities of nine countries: it was Denmark, which highlighted "serious cases of thrombosis" in some patients who had been inoculated at least one dose, thus suspending the administration of the vaccine for two weeks, the time to carry out new tests and understand if there is a direct correlation between the cases of blood clot (which also resulted in one death) and the drug.
Then within a few hours it was the turn of Norway, Iceland, Austria, the Baltic countries, Luxembourg and Romania, and finally also Italy, where a lot was withdrawn following three suspicious deaths, all in Sicily. The news was given by the National Medicines Agency, Aifa, which however reiterated that a single lot (ABV2856) was withdrawn, and also the Ministry of Health has confirmed that the vaccine is safe like others. In the meantime, the Syracuse prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the offending vials, and AstraZeneca, with a very concise press release, has kept repeating its absolute certainty on the safety of the antidote it produces. So far the numbers say that, in the face of a suspicious match, 215 doses of AstraZeneca have already been inoculated without problems.
In Italy AstraZeneca is currently the second most widespread vaccine: 1,5 million doses have already been delivered, second only to the 5,2 million distributed by Pfizer and three times as much as Moderna, while those of Johnson & Johnson will gradually arrive, which yesterday he received the ok from the EMA. However these numbers are always subject to change. Own In fact, AstraZeneca has announced a further cut in the supply of doses in the EU: in the first quarter there will be 30 million doses, a third of the contractual obligations and 25% less than the commitments made last month. According to the latest data provided in Brussels, AstraZeneca expected to supply 30,1 million by the end of March and another 20 million in April.
