AstraZeneca, second dose and thrombosis risks: the news

On the AstraZeneca anti-Covid vaccine, the second dose and the risks of thrombosis, the debate is rekindled in Italy. The vaccine, recommended in Italy for subjects over 60, was also administered to subjects under the age of 60 in the numerous open days and returned to the spotlight after two cases of thrombosis. Camilla Canepa, 18, died yesterday in Genoa after being vaccinated with AstraZeneca on 25 May. According to the news of these hours, the CTS would be oriented to renew the recommendation on the use of this vaccine only for the over 60, but it cannot be excluded that a real age limit is set. The stop of the regions, from Sicily to Umbria In the meantime, Sicily has already decided to suspend the administration of AstraZeneca to children under 60 as a precaution and in Umbria the Covid emergency commissioner Massimo D’Angelo has ordered the precautionary stop for on today’s day of administering second doses of AstraZeneca to all subjects under the age of 60. Toti: “From Rome express themselves without ambiguity” “The possibility of using AstraZeneca for everyone on a voluntary basis is not an invention of the Regions or of some Doctor Strangelove: it is a suggestion that comes from the highest technical-scientific bodies to increase the volume of vaccinations, and therefore avoid more deaths. Because the faster the vaccines run, the more citizens receive the first dose quickly, the fewer people die “, wrote the governor of Liguria Giovanni Toti on his Facebook page. “I really hope that no one wants to use this terribly dramatic moment to plunder emotions, pain and fear – he added – It is the moment of responsibility: doctors and scientists are responsible for establishing the possible link between the vaccine, other drugs taken and all the circumstances that led to this terrible event “.” Now from Rome they express themselves unambiguously: do they believe that increasing vaccinations, and therefore also using AstraZeneca, of which we have millions of doses, is necessary to save lives? to say it clearly, without accusing those who follow the indications in this sense. Or, is it believed to do without AstraZeneca, even if slowing down vaccinations, because it is considered too risky? . Responsibility and clarity. To make sure that this dramatic death was not in vain “, Toti highlighted. “The responsibility of saying a clear, definitive and irreversible word on the use of AstraZeneca to the Ministry of Health, the Medicines Agency, the Institute of Health, the Scientific Technical Committee – concluded the president of the Liguria Region – A serum that he changed his destination at least five times in three months: only under the age of 50, then suspended, then only over the age of 60, then for everyone “.Pregliasco:” Young vaccination is important and necessary “” I consider a comprehensive vaccination very important and necessary ” against Covid-19, “also for young people. For them at this point, also to guarantee and reassure their parents and especially the children” themselves, “who have shown a great desire to get vaccinated, it will be important to” use “preferentially vaccines that have a higher safety profile “in the young age groups,” hence the mRna vaccines “. Thus Fabrizio Pregliasco, virologist of the State University of Milan, speaking at ‘Agorà’ on Rai3 in the aftermath of Camilla’s death. “I hope that this second moment of anguish on AstraZeneca does not affect the vaccination campaign as a whole – hopes the expert – because the virus is circulating and, as we see in GB, but also in other countries, it hits its tail”. “Only thanks to vaccination will we be able to avoid in the future that proportion of serious cases that has been highlighted in the epidemic waves” experienced so far, warns Pregliasco, reiterating the efficacy and safety of anti-Covid vaccines. The case of the young woman from Sestri Levante, although of course “an investigation will be necessary” to prove it, “in fact today becomes the fifth death potentially attributable in a slightly more structured way to Covid-19 vaccines – recalls Pregliasco – of which one with mRna vaccine and 4 with AstraZeneca “, out of tens of millions of administrations. The virologist expresses “great pain” for the loss of a new human life, but understands the reasons why he pressed on the accelerator of the vaccination campaign: “In statistical terms – he highlights – it is estimated that vaccinations and the speed with which have been implemented have saved at least 10 thousand human lives “. As for the possibility, for those who have already received a first dose of Vaxzevria, to take the second, the expert reassures: “I receive distressed messages, but to date no cases of thrombosis have been registered after the second dose of AstraZeneca. Current indications they say it can be done “, even if” it is likely that in the future the possibility of a mix will be defined “between different first and second dose vaccines. Virologists President:” Open up to a mix of vaccines “” Theoretically we know that it can be done ” the booster with an anti-Covid vaccine different from the first one used, “and it could even be more advantageous to do this vaccination with two different products. So, why not? From a scientific point of view it has been proposed for some time, now we hope to be able in practice we too by virtue of these evidences of cases of important rare thrombosis with viral vector vaccine. So to be able to recall a first dose of AstraZeneca, or J&J assuming we want to recall it “, with different vaccine, messenger RNA, “might be the best solution”. This was highlighted by Arnaldo Caruso, president of the Italian Society of Virology (Siv-Isv), who spoke to ‘Radio too’ on Rai Radio 1. Caruso highlights the importance of getting vaccinated, even for the youngest. “This is because in a population everyone is responsible. Herd immunity means that those who cannot be vaccinated for important reasons or those who do not have immunity would be doomed to die if they catch the infection. About 2-3% of the population runs this risk. We vaccinate ourselves to save the lives of these people “, concludes Lopalco:” Risk of slowing vaccinations “” What we know, even if I have not yet read it in an official document, is that adverse events occur are always verified after the first dose, which is why the Ministry of Health had communicated that the second doses had to be done with the AstraZeneca vaccine regardless of age “, says the Councilor for Health of the Puglia Region, epidemiologist Pierluigi Lopalco, to ’24 Mattino ‘on Radio 24. “It is obvious – he observes – that if we have to completely abandon this vaccine, the vaccination campaign will slow down and here another element of evaluation opens up: slowing down the campaign means I have a bit of the whole population, so we need a good evaluation of the risks and benefits of a choice “.