Filenews 6 April 2021
By Friday Cyprus will have news on the issue of AstraZeneca vaccine management, said The Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services of the Ministry of Health, Elena Panagiotopoulou, who ruled out any possibility of withdrawing this vaccine.
As she said today, the meeting of the European Committee for Pharmacovigilance – Risk Assessment, on which the issue of vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine is also on the agenda, will begin on Friday, and noted that at noon on the same day a press release will be issued, guiding countries, including Cyprus, how to manage this vaccine.
It is noted that the meeting of the European Committee on Pharmacovigilance – Risk Assessment takes place in the wake of incidents recorded due to the rare syndrome, which combines thrombosis and thrombocytopenia and affected some of those vaccinated.
Guidelines from the EMA if withdrawn
Asked to indicate what Cyprus would do if the European Medicines Agency decided to withdraw this preparation, Ms. Panagiotopoulou assured that guidelines would be given for people who have already been vaccinated, but expressed confidence that the EU could not withdraw it, since the numbers of side effects around the world are minimal.
In the meantime, she did not rule out the possibility that Europe might move differently and consider putting some precautions on this particular preparation.
"I do not rule out Europe moving to other situations, but at the moment no move has been made. Withdrawing it is out of the question. Maybe he'll consider taking some precautions. The numbers of side effects around the world are so minimal that it's not going to be withdrawn," she said.
Noting that in Germany the uncertainty surrounding the AstraZeneca vaccine continues and that a recommendation has been issued by the Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko) as vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine only those over 60 years of age, Ms. Panagiotopoulou said that "Germany produces Phizer", adding that "now it will be put in for evaluation and bayer vaccine, which is also German".
I'm sure there are other motives.
Asked if she attributes developments in Germany to games due to financial interests, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services said that "there will certainly be other incentives", since as she noted "Germany has huge industries, which employ millions of people".
In relation to reports from citizens that they will not proceed with the 2nd dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and when asked if there are any risks to their health following such a decision, Mrs Panagiotopoulou said that "there is no risk", however, she urges citizens to proceed normally in order to obtain full effectiveness.
Much greater safety with the administration of the 2nd dose
As she said, "the safety is much greater with the administration of the 2nd dose", to add that if a citizen decides not to proceed with the 2nd dose "it is as if he was not vaccinated".
"The second dose," she said, "enhances immune creation and immunity."
Asked if anyone could be vaccinated with another formulation during the 2nd dose, she said that this possibility is even being studied and that the clinical trials have so far not produce any results on this.
However, she added that once there are results they will be announced.
How Cyprus is progressing
According to Mrs . Panagiotopoulou Cyprus because it participates in the Committees of the European Medicines Agency will follow the guidelines, which will be given by the EMA".
"Any guidelines given, those we will follow. The reason Cyprus follows EMA is because it feels safer. It is one thing to have a European Agency behind us, which feeds us with information, knowledge and data, and to have a common direction, rather than to act spasmodically and individually. For anything that comes up we will then be able to turn to the EMA to give us its lights and advice," she noted.
Asked if there was a risk by Friday decided by the European Committee for Pharmacovigilance – Risk Assessment, since Cyprus would go further with vaccinations, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services said that "if there was anything extraordinary, anything that would alarm the EMA, then it would immediately issue a press release".
'By 31 March it had issued a press release in which the EMA projected the benefits of vaccination, which outweigh the risks of side effects. This information continued, without changing anything, because once something changed immediately it would inform us and guide us accordingly. So Cyprus is proceeding in accordance with the guidelines given to us by the relevant EMA Committee, to which we are members," she made clear.
Nothing is proven
Asked to comment on the scientific objections published in relation to this vaccine, she said that "in Britain there were 7 deaths out of 18 million people. vaccinated, which may have been related to thrombosis", however, noted that "in the general population the death rate from thrombosis is much higher".
She added that in Cyprus there are reports of side effects, to note that these reports do not only concern the AstraZeneca vaccine.
As she said "in Cyprus there are also reports of Phizer and Moderna vaccines, and from time to time there are reports around the world of neurological side effects more related to the Phizer vaccine and to thrombotic vaccines associated with AstraZeneca".
But she made it clear that "nothing is proven" to note that "no one knows how this situation will turn out."
She also assured that 'these vaccines do not benefit from any other vaccines, which for so many years have been circulating in the public', adding that 'there are no such side effects which lead to the conclusion that vaccination with this vaccine should be stopped'.
There's no medicine that doesn't have a single side effect.
After all, she added, "there is no medicine that does not have even one side effect and even the most innocent formulation can cause something."
"Some drugs harm some people and cause them side effects while others benefit them. You have a scale and you put the benefits on the one hand and the risks on the other. For all medicines Cyprus does this. Vigilance exists in Cyprus as required by the legislation itself and we maintain it. People need to feel safe. At the moment the benefits and benefits of vaccination significantly outweigh the risks of side effects and encourage people to go get vaccinated, she concluded.
Source: CYPE
