Filenews 25 May 2021 - byMarlena Panagi
Embarrassment and upset was caused by the news of the 39-year-old British woman's death and the almost simultaneous announcement of a second serious thromboembolic incident, following a vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine involving a 40-year-old woman who has been in hospital since Sunday.
After a total of four recorded cases related to side effects on blood coagulation, following vaccination with this vaccine, scientists are again raising the issue of age restriction in its administration. The Ministry of Health, however, does not currently appear to have such an intention and insists on the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), citing the development of the Cyprus vaccination programme.
At the Ministry of Health, according to information provided by "F", a meeting was held yesterday at noon to record and study the data and tonight the Scientific Advisory Committee is expected to discuss again the issue of setting an age restriction on the administration of AstraZeneca, while relevant e-mail was exchanged between scientists in previous days.
For her part, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Elena Panagiotopoulou, in response to a question about whether there are any thoughts of differentiating the guidelines for the administration of astraZeneca vaccine, was content to say that the issue "is constantly being monitored, but there is currently no intention, since the EMA's recommendations are clear that it is not necessary to exclude age groups for its administration".
In relation to the recorded cases, he said they have been reported to the European Medicines Agency, from which an investigation is expected to take place, "along with the incidents recorded in other European countries".
At the same time, citizens are concerned and many are sitting on burning coals as they wait to receive the second dose of the vaccine, while it seems imperative that all doctors in Cyprus are properly informed of the symptoms and side effects they must take into account when resorting to them for help citizens who have recently undergone vaccination.
