The Spanish Ministry of Health has decided to use the UK-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) only to inoculate citizens over 60, Health Minister Carolina Darias said.
Up until now, AstraZeneca in Spain has been received by patients under 65, A total of 2.1 million have already received the vaccine, of which only 97 have received two shots. What will happen to patients who received one dose has not yet been decided. The vaccine has so far been distributed among police officers, teachers, firefighters, emergency workers, and patients between the ages of 56 and 65.
“Based on information available today and in preventive measures, it is recommended to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 60 years old,” the minister said at a press conference following a meeting of the inter-territorial council of the national health system, adding that there was no upper age limit.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) came up with a long-awaited evaluation of the AstraZeneca vaccine’s safety on Wednesday, recommending that blood clots be listed as a “very rare” side effect. The EU regulator still insists that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. The EMA stressed that it was important to keep using all available vaccines.