Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine SUSPENDED!

[Hypocrite-The]

AstraZeneca counters Indonesian Muslim concerns over Covid-19 vaccine | Malay Mail

Indonesian soldiers sit as one of them receives a dose of China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), during a mass vaccination program at a sport hall in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 10, 2021. — Reuters pic
Subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on news you need to know.
JAKARTA, March 21 — AstraZeneca said today its Covid-19 vaccine contains no pork-derived ingredients, countering an assertion in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, that the drug violates Islamic law.
Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical council, the Indonesia Ulema Council, said on its website Friday that the vaccine is “haram” because the manufacturing process uses “trypsin from the pork pancreas.”
Still, the council approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use given the pandemic emergency.
But AstraZeneca Indonesia spokesman Rizman Abudaeri said in a statement: “At all stages of the production process, this virus vector vaccine does not use nor come in contact with pork-derived products or other animal products.”
The council and the country’s food and drug agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
ADVERTISING
Indonesian authorities on Friday approved the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine after reviewing reports that it had caused blood clots among some recipients in Europe.
Indonesia is grappling with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia – with 1,455,788 cases and 39,447 deaths as of yesterday. — Reuters

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Taiwan premier gets AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot as island starts vaccine campaign
Taiwanese people wear face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus in Taipei, Mar 20, 2021. (Photo: AP/Chiang Ying-ying)
22 Mar 2021 09:24AM
(Updated: 22 Mar 2021 11:43AM)
Bookmark
TAIPEI: Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot on Monday (Mar 22) as the island began its vaccination campaign.
"I have just finished getting the injection, there is no pain at the injection site, and there is no soreness of the body," Su told reporters at a Taipei hospital.
"The doctor told me to more drink boiled water and rest a bit. The first point I'll follow, and the second point may be more difficult. But I'll still try to rest as much as possible," he added.
READ: Singapore and Taiwan in talks about possible travel bubble: Reports
More than a dozen European countries suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine last week amid concerns about its safety after reports of a small number of blood disorders. The World Health Organization's European director said on Thursday the benefits of the shot far outweigh any risks, and its widespread use resumed on Friday.
Taiwan's first vaccines - 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca shot - arrived on the island earlier this month from a South Korean factory.
Health Minister Chen Shih-chung was also vaccinated at the same hospital as the premier, and was seen laughing and chatting with medical personnel in government-released footage of him getting the shot.
READ: EU, UK drug regulators rally behind AstraZeneca vaccine after safety concerns

Around 60,000 people are in line to get the first vaccinations and Taiwan is prioritising health workers.
The first vaccine for a health worker was given at a hospital in New Taipei city, next to the capital Taipei, Taiwan media reported.
In December, Taiwan said it had agreed to buy almost 20 million vaccine doses, including 10 million from AstraZeneca.
READ: Taiwan grants emergency authorisation for AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Taiwan's government has played down concerns about the late start to the vaccination programme, saying that with such a low case rate there is not the urgency that exists in other countries where the pandemic remains rampant.
Only 33 people remain in hospital being treated for COVID-19 in Taiwan. The island has kept the pandemic well under control thanks to early and effective prevention, including largely closing its borders.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

One year after the WHO has declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the EU's drugs regulator has approved the use of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot Covid-19 vaccine. The US-American drug is the fourth to get the go-ahead from the European Medicines Agency. The EMA said the vaccine is 67% effective two weeks after innoculation. It's already being widely used in the United States and it's hoped this will help speed up the EU's slow vaccine rollout, which has drawn heavy criticism. This news comes as several announce that they have stopped using some batches of the AstraZeneca Covid 19 vaccine -- after reports of blood clots in some people. Denmark has suspended use of the vaccine until the matter is cleared up.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

US health agency raises 'concern' over AstraZeneca vaccine trial data - The Online Citizen Asia
A US government agency Tuesday raised concerns that AstraZeneca may have included out-of-date drug data in information provided during US trials for its COVID-19 vaccine.
A monitoring board had “expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data,” a statement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said.
“We urge the company to work with the DSMB (Data and Safety Monitoring Board) to review the efficacy data and ensure the most accurate, up-to-date efficacy data be made public as quickly as possible.”
The statement comes after AstraZeneca said Monday that stage three US trials had showed its COVID-19 vaccine was 79 per cent effective at preventing the disease.
AstraZeneca said it was preparing to submit its findings to the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize the shot for emergency use.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper and easier to store than many of its rivals, but several countries in Europe and other parts of the world last week suspended its use because of isolated cases of blood clots.
— AFP

 

[Hypocrite-The]

National medical regulator approves 800,000 Australian-made doses of AstraZeneca vaccine
Posted 5h
A hand picks up a vial from a tray labelled 'AstraZeneca' from a fridge
Overseas-made doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were already being used in Australia.( AP: Bob Edme )
Share
More than 800,000 Australian-made doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine have been approved for use by the national medical regulator.

Key points:
Overseas-made doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine began to be used earlier this month
Local manufacture of the vaccine was approved on Sunday
Now 800,000 Australian-made doses have been cleared for use
That’s when each batch of the vaccine is reviewed to check it has been made to the required standards.

Four batches totalling 832,000 doses have now been cleared for supply, in what the TGA described as a “major step in Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic".

"We will now be able to provide secure access to large numbers of doses of a domestically-produced vaccine, with the Australian government having procured 50 million doses for delivery in the coming months," the TGA said.

TGA approval on first day of Phase 1b rollout
Australia's vaccination rollout depends on the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being manufactured at two sites in Melbourne by CSL.

TGA approval is required for every batch of vaccines supplied in Australia, with all subsequent batches to go through the same individual batch testing and release process.

The second phase of the vaccination program started today, with millions of Australians set to become eligible for their first dose.

Phase 1B includes Australians aged 70 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 55 and over, younger Australians with underlying health conditions and frontline healthcare workers.

It will be progressively available through more than 4,000 distribution points, including general practices, GP-led respiratory clinics, and Aboriginal Health Services.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

US health officials say AstraZeneca may have included 'outdated information' in coronavirus vaccine trial
Posted 2hhours ago

AstraZeneca's vaccine has been shown to offer good protection against the worst of COVID-19.(
Reuters: Dado Ruvic
)
Share

AstraZeneca may have included "outdated information" in touting the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in a US study, federal health officials have said, in an unusual public rift that could further erode confidence in the shot.
Key points:

• AstraZeneca released the result of a 32,000-person study in the US to measure the effectiveness of its vaccine
• But an independent panel overseeing the trial said the company may have used outdated data
• The AstraZeneca vaccine will be the cornerstone of Australia's vaccination plan

In response, AstraZeneca said that it was working on more up-to-date information and that the more recent findings were consistent with its initial announcement that the vaccine offered strong protection.
It promised an update within 48 hours.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be the cornerstone of Australia's vaccination plan.
In an extraordinary rebuke, just hours after AstraZeneca announced its vaccine worked well in the US study, an independent panel overseeing the study scolded the company for cherry-picking data, according to a senior US administration official.
LIVE UPDATES: Read our blog for the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The panel wrote to AstraZeneca and US health leaders that it was concerned the company chose to use data that was outdated and potentially misleading instead of the most recent and complete findings, according to the administration official.
The official discussed the contents on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter.
The letter goes on to say, "Decisions like this are what erode public trust in the scientific process."
The US study was supposed to help settle lingering questions about the effectiveness of a vaccine that is being widely used in Europe and other parts of the world and is about to be considered for use in America, too.
Rebuilding confidence in its vaccine was what AstraZeneca had hoped to accomplish when it announced that a predominantly US study of 32,000 volunteers showed its vaccine was 79 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease.
The study also showed that no vaccinated volunteers had suffered severe illnesses or hospitalisations.
But shortly after midnight, the National Institutes of Health issued a statement saying the independent monitors that oversee the study had "expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data."
The NIH urged the company to "ensure the most accurate, up-to-date efficacy data be made public as quickly as possible."
Read more about coronavirus:

• All Australians over 70 can now book a COVID vaccine
• Fears of a "catastrophe" as PNG struggles to cope with rising COVID cases

Fauci says spat is example of system working
Outside experts were surprised and puzzled by the spat.
But they noted that ultimately the Food and Drug Administration would scrutinise all the data before deciding whether AstraZeneca's vaccine could be rolled out in the US.
"It would seem that whatever this communication misstep is, at the end of the day the data will have to stand for itself," said Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former FDA vaccine chief.
The NIH's Anthony Fauci told US broadcaster ABC's Good Morning America that the incident "really is what you call an unforced error" and that he expects the discrepancy to be straightened out.
Dr Fauci also said the episode showed the US regulatory system was working: "The data and safety monitoring board picking up this discrepancy was an example of a safeguard."
Read more about COVID-19 vaccines:

• The 'concerning' divide in Australians' attitudes to vaccines
• Pausing AstraZeneca rollout an "overreaction", experts say
• Tracking Australia's COVID vaccine rollout

Every vaccine trial is overseen by a "data and safety monitoring board", or DSMB. These boards include scientists and statisticians who are experts in their fields but have no ties to either the government or the vaccine makers.
In the AstraZeneca study, just like studies of the other vaccines in use, some participants get the real vaccine and the rest get dummy shots, and neither they nor their doctors know which is which. Only the DSMB has the power to unlock the code of who got which and peek at how the volunteers are faring before a study is finished.
The DSMB watches for safety concerns and also deems when the study has met pre-determined endpoints showing it's time for an effectiveness calculation.
It was the NIH-appointed DSMB that raised the concerns about AstraZeneca's data.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
WATCH
Duration: 2 minutes 12 seconds2m 12s

Rare blood clots haven't been ruled out, but experts back AstraZeneca jab
On Tuesday local time, AstraZeneca said that the data it first released included COVID-19 cases that occurred up to February 17, as the study rules specified, and that it was continuing to analyse cases that had occurred since then.
It said a preliminary analysis of more recent data was consistent with what it had already reported.
It is common for companies developing COVID-19 vaccines to release early data and to continue studying results as they come in.
How has the pandemic affected you? Share your story

Tell us about the highs, lows and standout moments of your experience for an ABC project about how COVID-19 has impacted Australians.
Read more
The vaccine is used widely in Britain, across the European continent and in other countries, but its rollout was troubled by inconsistent study reports about its effectiveness. Last week, a scare about blood clots had some countries temporarily pausing inoculations.
The US study findings announced by AstraZeneca were consistent with studies from elsewhere — and real-world use in Britain — that found the vaccine offered good protection against the worst COVID-19 had to offer. But company executives refused repeated requests from reporters to provide a breakdown of the 141 COVID-19 cases it was using to make the case for the shot's effectiveness.
The company has said it aims to file an application with the FDA in the coming weeks.
Vaccine approved for safe use in Australia

Australian regulators have approved the vaccine for use.(
ABC News: Isabella Higgins
)
Frontline healthcare workers, border and hotel quarantine staff in Australia have already received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but the bulk of the population will get the AstraZeneca jab.
Australian regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Tuesday approved the domestic production of the vaccine, with the first batches to be released in the coming days.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has repeatedly stressed the AstraZeneca vaccine will meet all Australian safety standards before being used in Australia.
"But absolutely, there are no shortcuts. Every tick that needs to be ticked will be ticked before there is any rollout of this vaccine into the community," he said in February.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

AstraZeneca says vaccine 76% effective in updated US trial data

Vials with Covid-19 Vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca
Thu, 25 March 2021, 9:58 am


British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca on Wednesday revised down by three percentage points the effectiveness of its Covid vaccine after American authorities raised concerns that results reported from its US trial were outdated.
The company now says its vaccine is 76 rather than 79 percent effective at preventing any kind of symptomatic Covid.
It remains 100 percent effective against severe Covid, it added.

The move came after an independent panel of experts appointed to supervise the trial expressed concern that AstraZeneca had failed to include updated data in its initially released figure.
The US National Institutes of Health then issued a highly unusual statement asking AstraZeneca to work with the panel and issue a new press release.
"We look forward to filing our regulatory submission for Emergency Use Authorization in the US and preparing for the rollout of millions of doses across America," said Mene Pangalos executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development.
The new figure is based on 190 people who fell sick among 32,449 trial participants across the United States, Peru and Chile, two-thirds of whom received the vaccine while the rest received a placebo.
The previous figure was based on 141 cases, with a cut-off in mid-February.
The company added there are 14 additional or probable Covid cases left to be adjudicated.
- Bumpy rollout -
Depending on whether these occurred in the vaccine or placebo group, the final efficacy figure could go up or down a few percentage points.
The company added the vaccine efficacy in people 65-years-old and over was 85 percent, but the statistical range for this figure -- anywhere between 58 and 95 percent -- make it less meaningful and the sample size was not mentioned.
Eight cases of severe Covid occurred -- all in the placebo group.
AstraZeneca was an early frontrunner in the global race to develop a Covid vaccine, and was heavily favored by the United States, which ordered 300 million doses -- more than its first orders for Moderna's and Pfizer's shots.
But a series of communications blunders eroded US agencies' confidence.
The US now has three authorized vaccines -- Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson -- and should have enough supply to more than cover the adult population by the end of May.
However, authorization by the Food and Drug Administration -- considered the gold standard regulator -- would go a long way to calm global doubts over the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Several European countries paused rollout of the shot over potential blood clot risks before later resuming its use.
The European Medicines Agency deemed the vaccine safe and said it was not associated with blood clotting generally -- but added it could not rule out a link to two highly rare forms of clotting, and suggested these risks be mentioned on a warning label.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is still seen as vital to vaccinating the world because of its low price and the fact it can be stored long term at fridge temperatures.
It uses an adenovirus that causes colds in chimpanzees, modified so it can't replicate, to carry the gene for a key protein of the coronavirus into human cells.
The cells then produce that protein on their surface, training the immune system should it encounter the real virus.
ia/jm/ia/caw

 

[Hypocrite-The]

AstraZeneca and Pfizer coronavirus vaccines should be deferred for small group of Australians amid blood clot concerns, advisory group says
ABC Health & Wellbeing
/
By Will Ockenden for Coronacast
Posted 6hhours ago, updated 5hhours ago

Today's recommendation applies to vaccines developed by AstraZeneca, which most Australians will get, and Pfizer.(
Getty Images: KONTROLAB
)
Share

Australia’s expert advisory group on vaccines has recommended the COVID-19 vaccine be deferred for people who have a history of specific rare blood clotting disorders.
Key points:

• ATAGI says it has made the recommendation as a "precautionary" measure
• The recommendation follows concerns from Europe about blood clots post vaccination
• Experts are waiting for more European data before making their next move

This is the first time a warning has been given for COVID-19 vaccines in Australia, and the recommendation applies to both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, although the current concerns have been focussed on the latter.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) said "for the time being, ATAGI recommends that vaccination with any COVID-19 vaccine should be deferred for people who have a history of ... rare conditions."
It listed the rare conditions as people with a confirmed medical history of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and people with a confirmed medical history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).
RECAP: Look back on the latest news from the coronavirus pandemic.
CVST is clotting in the veins of the brain that carry blood back to the heart. It's rare and primarily affects younger people.
HIT is related to the use of the commonly used drug heparin, which reduces the risk of clots.
However, in rare cases, the drug can react to a chemical in the blood, which then induces antibodies and can lead to clotting.
In the case of the AstraZeneca vaccine, German researchers have found that the same antibodies appear to have formed; however, the patients had not been taking the drug heparin.
Got questions about the COVID vaccines? We have answers

Confused about Australia's vaccine rollout? We've tracked down the answers to the questions you've been asking.
Read more
ATAGI co-chair Professor Allen Cheng said the clinical advice for both AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine was only "precautionary".
"As of yesterday, there were 18 cases reported in about 20 million vaccinations," he said.
"It's early data, but these are unusual thrombosis — different from the usual DVTs (deep vein thrombosis) that people get."
"We don't know at this stage if this is a real signal, so as a precaution, people who have had heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the past probably should hold off on vaccination.
"And people who have cerebral venous sinus thrombosis should also probably hold off.

"It's just precautionary, but these conditions are incredibly rare."

Professor Allen Cheng said the clinical advice was "precautionary".(
ABC News: Scott Jewell
)
Professor Cheng said he didn't know how many people this advice would apply to. but "it wouldn't be many".
"I would imagine it could be a couple of hundred people, but I don't know for sure."
Australian warning comes as Europeans continue to investigate
Two weeks ago, countries across Europe halted the use of AstraZeneca following reports of blood clots.
However, vaccination programs in most countries resumed again last week after the European medical regulator, the European Medicines Agency, found the benefits of getting the vaccine continued to outweigh the risks.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
LISTEN
Duration: 11 minutes 11 seconds11m

Could German researchers have found a link between Astra and blood clots?Download 10.2 MB
But the EMA said while there was no indication the blood clots had been caused by the vaccine, experts would continue to investigate the possibility.

According to AstraZeneca, a review of safety data of people vaccinated with its COVID-19 vaccine has shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.(
Reuters: Dado Ruvic
)
The European pause was entirely about the AstraZeneca vaccine, but ATAGI has also recommended a pause for Pfizer.
Professor Cheng said that was also a precautionary move.
"There's a lot of commonalities — even though they're different vaccines, there are some common factors about these vaccines and different ways of giving the spike protein," he said.
"So really, until we know a little bit more about these [clotting reports], we're advising those specific groups to hold off [on being vaccinated]".
Experts are waiting for more data
It's unknown how long this recommendation will remain in place.
"It's really an evolving story. There's a lot of work being done on it at the moment," Professor Cheng said.
"I expect we'll know more in the next couple of weeks."
Health in your Instagram feed

It appears many experts are awaiting the publication of the German research, which was the first to link the vaccine clotting reports to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.
The research found that certain antibodies are created after the patient had the AstraZeneca vaccine, which cross-react with platelets in the blood.
For now, authorities around the world are waiting for more information and research before making their next moves.
ATAGI agrees with current European advice that "the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh this potential risk".
However, it has reminded doctors that they should continue to watch out for unexpected events.
"As for all vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, healthcare providers should be alert for persistent, unexpected and/or severe adverse events following immunisation in their patients, particularly those that occur 1–2 weeks after vaccination," ATAGI's statement said.

 

[tanwahtiu]

Anything made in BE is rubbish including their opium back in 1800s. The opium is made with arbiturate toxic industrial revolution chemicals... only 10% was opium poppy...

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Anything made in BE is rubbish including their opium back in 1800s. The opium is made with arbiturate toxic industrial revolution chemicals... only 10% was opium poppy...

Than u go ahead and get the Chicon vaccine,,,

 

[Hypocrite-The]

We asked Dr. Stephen Thomas, chief of Infectious Diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University, what we need to know about the vaccines right now and what we could learn in the coming months. Watch the video for a deeper explanation about the three vaccines currently available in the U.S. — Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson. Moderna and Pfizer are messenger RNA, or mRNA vaccines and Johnson & Johnson is a viral vector vaccine. All three are designed to protect against Covid-19. According to the CDC, rather than inject the body with a weakened version of the coronavirus, these vaccines teach the body to make a protein which triggers an immune response. It’s those antibodies that our bodies produce that help keep us safe when confronted with the actual virus. Side Effects The mRNA vaccines have been administered to over 80 million people in the United States and they are safe and effective, Thomas said. Thomas was the lead principal investigator for the worldwide Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine trial. In data from the trials, Thomas noted, “The safety profile of these vaccines are all pretty similar, most people will experience some kind of pain at the site the vaccine was injected and most people say the pain is mild to moderate. Dr. Thomas also mentioned these other common side effects: • Mild to moderate headache • Mild to moderate fatigue • 30 to 40 percent of people might have muscle aches or joint pain • About ten to fifteen percent of people might develop a fever “The good news is if it’s going to happen to you, because it doesn’t happen to everyone, it happens pretty soon after you get vaccinated and once it starts it goes away within a couple of days,” Thomas said. “With Pfizer and Moderna rolling out over 80 million doses of vaccine the side effects continue to be the same as the data from the trials and we aren’t seeing any new side effects or more severe side effects,” he added. What about the variants? Work is being done in laboratories with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, testing people’s antibodies to see if the antibodies will neutralize the variants. Thomas said, “They are not as good at neutralizing those variants as they are against the predominant strain in the United States which is from China. But experiments are continuing and there is some concerning data there, which is why it’s important that we vaccinate as many people as possible, because it’s a race against the variants.” Thomas noted that the vaccines are still working at fifty to sixty-percent efficacy against the new variants. “Just to put it in context, the annual flu vaccine is about forty-five percent efficacious,” he said. How important is the two-dose vaccine time schedule? Thomas said it’s important to get these vaccines as close to the schedule as possible as they were tested in the trials. If a change is unavoidable, Thomas recommends delaying the second dose rather than getting it ahead of schedule. What is herd immunity and when will we have it? Herd immunity is achieved when enough of the population has become immune to a disease (generally through vaccinations) that it makes it difficult for that disease to spread. That would mean even those who are not immune would be protected. “Right now, about fifteen percent of the country has received at least one dose of vaccine, but that’s a far cry from the 70 to 80-percent that we are going to need to achieve herd immunity,” Thomas said. Thomas doesn’t think it’s going to be a vaccine supply issue, but more of a willingness for people to be vaccinated. “We’re vaccinating 2 million people a day, if that were to go to 3 million, and we have 320 million people in the country, we could achieve herd immunity by late summer.”

 

[Hypocrite-The]

was it really worth it?
Simon Jack - Business editor
Tue, 30 March 2021, 10:48 am·7-min read

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and syringe are seen at the medical centre
"It's appalling the way AstraZeneca has been treated. I wouldn't blame them if they were thoroughly fed up and decided to bow out of the covid vaccine business."
That was the view from one of the biggest institutional investors in the UK.
Scroll to continue with content
It's not a view the pharmaceutical giant and its talismanic boss Pascal Soriot would have expected to hear, having developed a safe, effective vaccine at breakneck speed, signing contracts to deliver nearly two billion doses and doing it all without making a profit.
Mr Soriot could be forgiven perhaps for thinking he would be getting a medal.
Instead he is getting brickbats from EU politicians like Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts, who has accused the company of dishonesty and arrogance, in the way he alleges, it has "over-promised and under-delivered".
Some are suggesting that the whole endeavour has been more trouble than it is worth.
AstraZeneca has foregone over $20bn (£14.5bn) in revenue, while becoming a household name in the EU and the US for all the wrong reasons.
Some investors have even questioned Pascal Soriot's position as chief executive.
Astra has become a political football in a European blame game.
One minute his compatriot, the French President Emmanuel Macron, is describing the vaccine as "quasi-ineffective", and the next, President Macron is volunteering to have the jab himself and backing a move to block exports outside the EU.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot is having a tough time
Oxford University's Sir John Bell said Mr Soriot was mystified by the French approach: "He's found dealing with the French one of the most difficult things he's had to do, because they have been so completely irrational."
There was also widespread anti-Astra outrage when a raid on an Italian pharmaceutical plant discovered a stash of nearly 30 million vaccines - only for it to dissipate when the company said that 16 million of them were for EU use and the rest were headed for poorer countries under an EU-backed program called Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX).
In the US, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), accused AstraZeneca of "unforced errors", in failing to include the most recent data in its trial submissions to US authorities.
Even insiders admit: "It's fair to say we are in a pretty uncomfortable spot right now."
Vaccines and politics
As one investor told the BBC, "[Pascal Soriot is] discovering what happens when you are doing politics, rather than business".
The story of AstraZeneca's adventures in vaccines and politics is impossible to separate from the background of the man in charge.
As one of his competitors put it: "Astra is Pascal's company, it's hard to tell where Pascal Soriot ends and AstraZeneca starts."

French Foreign Affairs minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has called for tighter controls on doses sent from the EU
That is pretty unusual for a public company owned by huge institutional investors around the world.
Although he took over in 2012, Mr Soriot's dominant and hitherto unassailable position stemmed from his successful defence of the company from a $100bn takeover bid from American drug giant Pfizer in 2014.
Story continues

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Canada pauses AstraZeneca for under 55s
news, latest-news
Canada is suspending the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for people under the age of 55 following concerns it may be linked to rare blood clots. The National Advisory Committee on Immunisation recommended a pause on AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccinations for people under 55 for safety reasons and the Canadian provinces, which administer health in the country, announced the suspensions on Monday. "There is substantial uncertainty about the benefit of providing AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to adults under 55 given the potential risks," Dr. Shelley Deeks, Vice Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunisation. Dr. Joss Reimer of Manitoba's Vaccine Implementation Task Force said despite the finding that there was no increase risk of blood clots overall related to AstraZeneca in Europe, a rare but very serious side effect has been seen primarily in young women in Europe. "So out of abundance of caution, Manitoba will be recommending that these vaccines only be used in people who are 55 or older at this time. I do want to say this is a pause while we wait for more information to better understand what we are seeing in Europe," Reimer said. Reimer said the increase in the rare type of blood clot happens affects somewhere around one in 100,000 or one in a million people who receive AstraZeneca. She said it typically happens between four and 20 days after getting the shot and the symptoms can mirror a stroke or a heart attack. Reimer said they have not seen any of these cases in Canada. "While we still believe the benefits for all ages outweigh the risks I'm not comfortable with probably. I want to see more data coming out of Europe so I know exactly what this risk benefit analysis is," Reimer said. The AstraZeneca shot, which has been authorised in more than 70 countries, is a pillar of a UN-backed project known as COVAX that aims to get COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries. It has also become a key tool in European countries' efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts. That makes doubts about the shots especially worrying. "This vaccine has had all the ups and downs. It looks like a roller coaster," said Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, the chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunisation, when asked if the latest news will lead to further vaccine hesitancy. Health Canada, the country's regulator, called the pause a precautionary measure. Several European countries that had suspended using the vaccine over concerns it could cause blood clots have resumed administering it after the EU's drug regulator said the vaccine was safe. The vaccine is used widely in Britain, across the European continent and in other countries, but its rollout was troubled by inconsistent study reports about its effectiveness, and then more recently the scare about clots that had some countries temporarily pausing inoculations. Canada is expected to receive 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca from the US this week. Australian Associated Press
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/09097082-653b-4386-9ede-281b6c00a14c.jpg/r0_74_800_526_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

 

[Hypocrite-The]

COVID vaccine weekly: AstraZeneca supplies and efficacy under the microscope again
Vials of AstraZeneca vaccine
J J Guillen/EPA-EFE
Disputes over the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have dominated the week, just as they have at various points over the past few months.

Europe’s leaders have so far largely resisted restricting exports of doses manufactured on the continent that are destined for other countries. But the EU is still concerned that the UK has an unfair advantage, as millions of vaccine doses have been exported from the EU to Britain with none being exported back in return.

Partly this appears to be down to differences in what each agreed with AstraZeneca. Britain’s contract is more forceful in making sure that supplies are delivered on time, and so appears to be being prioritised. The UK and the EU have jointly stated that they want to “create a win-win situation and expand vaccine supply for all”, but it’s not yet clear what the solution is.


This is our weekly round-up of expert information about the COVID-19 vaccines.
The Conversation, a not-for-profit group, works with a wide range of academics across its global network to produce evidence-based analysis and insights. Get more regular updates from trusted experts by subscribing to our free newsletter .

India has also restricted exports of doses it has manufactured as it looks to stem a rapid rise in cases, which could mean a delay to 5 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine being sent to Britain. Combined with events in Europe, this creates the prospect of uneven or “lumpy” supply that could fail to meet demand and then run out.

This, though, can be compensated for, write Amir Sharif, Liz Breen and Sankar Sivarajah of the University of Bradford. A way forward would be to focus again on prioritising specific people and reducing the overall speed of vaccination, to allow fluctuations in supply to be better absorbed. Intergovernmental arguments should not then rear their head.

It hasn’t been plain sailing for the vaccine this week on the other side of the Atlantic either. Preliminary findings of the phase 3 trial being conducted in the US were announced early in the week, and they looked positive. Two doses of the vaccine, given four weeks apart, appeared to prevent symptomatic disease 79% of the time – which was slightly better than findings from previous trials.

Yet immediately, the data and safety monitoring board overseeing the trial called these results into question, saying that they were based on “outdated information”. AstraZeneca has since given an updated efficacy reading for the trial of 76%. The figures aren’t particularly different, but given there have been uncertainties about the vaccine’s efficacy before, this was an unwelcome distraction.

In reality, the trial’s results are actually very positive, writes Michael Head, senior research fellow at the University of Southampton. It found the vaccine was effective across all age groups, and 20% of the 32,000 people involved were over-65, which should allay concerns about it potentially being less effective in older people. The trial also reported no instances of blood clotting – welcome news after last week’s concerns that the vaccine might be associated with these.

On this front, the European Medicines Agency has so far found no evidence of a link and has said the vaccine is safe, but has also launched a further review into the clots that have been reported. Many countries that paused giving the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine last week have now resumed rolling it out, but some, such as Denmark, have prolonged the vaccine’s suspension.

Soeren Brostroem, director of Denmark's National Board of Health, with Tanja Erichsen of the Danish Medicines Agency
Soeren Brostroem, director of Denmark’s National Board of Health, outlines the country’s continued suspension of the vaccine. Mads Claus Rasmussen
Such suspensions, both then and now, are wrong, argue Julian Savulescu, Dominic Wilkinson, Jonathan Pugh and Margie Danchin from the University of Oxford. They can undermine confidence in vaccines – indeed, the Oxford vaccine has taken a real hit – and by delaying giving a vaccine against a deadly disease, may be a risk to public health far greater than blood clots. They’re also highly paternalistic – preventing people from making their own decisions about what risk they want to face: that of COVID-19 or of vaccination.

Nevertheless, these policies were common across Europe. This, says Stephen John, senior lecturer in philosophy of public health at the University of Cambridge, may be proof of a bias in our thinking: that we believe actively doing harm to be worse than passively allowing it, even if the size of the harm allowed is far greater.

Get the latest news and advice on COVID-19, direct from the experts in your inbox. Join hundreds of thousands who trust experts by subscribing to our newsletter.

 

[Papsmearer]

What is the problem with taking it? U just take a low dose 81mg aspirin for 20 days after the shot, there should be no blood clots. the low dose aspirin works as a blood thinner.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Why Australia remains confident in AstraZeneca vaccine as two countries put rollout on ice
Canada and Germany halt jabs for some age groups over blood clot fears but Australian authorities say it is safe and effective for over 18s

Medical practices across Australia have started Covid vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine for eligible Australians under the phase 1b rollout.
Medical practices across Australia have started Covid vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine for eligible people under the phase 1b rollout. Australia is relying heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine – with plans to roll out 53.8m doses through the course of 2021. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Wed 31 Mar 2021 20.04 AEDT
Last modified on Wed 31 Mar 2021 20.05 AEDT

208
Of all of the Covid-19 vaccines being rolled out worldwide, none has been quite so beleaguered as the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, with questions raised about its efficacy and its side-effects.

Given the pause in rollouts of the AstraZeneca vaccine elsewhere, what is the latest on who should and should not receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia? Should Australians be worried given our reliance on it? And has the criticism of the vaccine to date been fair?

The latest on side-effects
On Wednesday, German health authorities in Berlin and Munich suspended rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine for those under the age of 60 following new concerns around rare blood clotting. A day earlier, Canada made a similar move due to the same concerns, halting the rollout for people under age 55.

It follows a previous review of clotting by European and UK health authorities, with that data also reviewed by Australian regulators. The review reassuringly found the number of blood clotting cases reported after vaccination, both in the large clinical trials and during rollout across the world, was lower than that expected in the general population.

Following vaccination there has been a very small number of cases of a rare type of blood clotting disease (known as disseminated intravascular coagulation), as well as extremely rare cases of clots in the vessels draining blood from the brain (known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis). Yet it has not been proven that these cases were caused by the vaccine.

Australia’s medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, notes that these conditions are also sometimes seen in people who have not received a Covid-19 vaccine. But Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunisation said new data from Europe suggested the risk of blood clots may be about one in 100,000, and it appeared women under age 55 were most at risk.

Prime minister Scott Morrison (centre) and Simon Buensch and Dr Brian McNamee of CSL inspect a palette of Covid vaccines while they tour the company’s facility in Melbourne on 26 March. CSL is manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia.
Prime minister Scott Morrison (centre) and Simon Buensch and Dr Brian McNamee of CSL inspect a palette of Covid vaccines during a tour of the company’s facility in Melbourne on 26 March. CSL is manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia. Photograph: Andrew NHenshaw/EPA
Are there any alternatives to AstraZeneca?
Australia is relying heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine – rolling out 53.8m doses of it through the course of the year. The only other vaccine currently available in Australia is Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, but with a fraction of the ordered 20m doses of this vaccine available in the early stages of the rollout, all but the most high-risk people will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine for now. A third vaccine known as Novavax is also being scrutinised by the Australian regulators and will be rolled out, if approved, by the end of June.

Who should not get the AstraZeneca vaccine?
For the time being, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommends that any Covid-19 vaccination (not just the AstraZeneca vaccine) should be deferred in those who have a history of the following rare conditions:

People with a confirmed medical history of CVST.

People with a confirmed medical history of heparin induced thrombocytopenia, when people develop a low platelet count after being given the blood thinner heparin.

These are precautionary steps, in place until regulators receive and analyse more data. The measures are not in place because of any proven link between these conditions and complications.

People with a history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine should not take it, and this applies to the Pfizer vaccine as well. Neither vaccine is approved in Australia for those under 18.

Professor Greg Dore, an infectious diseases physician and researcher with the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales, said overall, “I don’t think there’s any group that should preferentially have one vaccine over the other. If you want to get to substantial of vaccination coverage sometime this year, we need to go with the current strategy. But Novavax may also be available from June.”

What about efficacy? Won’t Pfizer’s vaccine protect me more?

Australia's Covid vaccine rollout would be 'dire' without local AstraZeneca production, health chief says Read more
It is useful to remember that when the pandemic was originally declared, the World Health Organisation said a vaccine efficacy of 50% or above was required to control the virus, and anything above that would be welcome.

The latest data from AstraZeneca puts the efficacy of the vaccine protecting against symptoms at 76%, which occurs 15 days or more after receiving two doses given four weeks apart. Clinical trials put the vaccine confidence interval at between 68% and 82%. This means there is a 95% chance that the true efficacy of the vaccine is between 68% to 82%, making it similar to other vaccines including Pfizer’s.

As more data is added, the confidence interval usually tightens and provides more certainty. Studies have found efficacy increases even more, to 82.4%, if the doses are given at least 12 weeks apart, and Australian regulators have recommended a 12-week interval.

This really isn’t too different from the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine, which has an efficacy of above 89%. Both of the vaccines to date appear to have 100% efficacy when it comes to protecting against severe disease and death.

A patient speaks with a nurse ahead of receiving the Covid AstraZeneca vaccine at a medical practice in Sydney on 23 March.
A patient speaks with a nurse ahead of receiving the Covid AstraZeneca vaccine at a medical practice in Sydney on 23 March. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Isn’t there concern about elderly people getting the AstraZeneca vaccine?
It is true that there is still limited data available for the efficacy and safety of the vaccine in individuals over 65 years of age.

But the TGA states “the vaccine has been shown to create an immune response in this group and can be used based on the efficacy and safety demonstrated in the general clinical trial population”.

As with any patient, the decision to immunise an elderly patient depends on comorbidities and their environment (such as if they are in aged care). Further information from ongoing clinical trials and post-market monitoring is expected in coming months.

Head of the TGA, Professor John Skerritt, has made it clear there is no upper age limit for the vaccine.

“Our analysis of the data gives us no reason to suspect that the vaccine would not be fully efficacious in older groups,” he said.

Laureate Professor Peter Doherty, who shared the 1996 Nobel medicine prize with Swiss colleague Rolf Zinkernagel for their discoveries about transplantation and immunity, is 80 years old and received the AstraZeneca vaccine on Wednesday.

“I’m happy to be the poster boy for the AstraZeneca vaccine,” he told Guardian Australia. “It’s worked very well and has been given to very large numbers of people in the United Kingdom, and they’ve given it side-by-side with the Pfizer vaccine and both appear to be working about as well as each other. It’s worked really well in Britain. So I’m pretty happy to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.”


Australia Covid vaccine tracker: how is the rollout progressing and when will you get the jab? Read more
Are there other side-effects of the vaccines?
There are some social media posts doing the rounds spreading misinformation and fear about adverse events and side-effects. It is important to remember that almost every health regulator in the world, as well as independent panels of consumer advocates, researchers, doctors and scientists are reviewing safety and side-effect data all the time. It would be impossible to hide any serious adverse reactions.

For any drug, whether a vaccine or other medicine, rare, “one in a million” side-effects can only ever be known once it is rolled out widely. There can never be enough people in a clinical trial to detect these events. But these are so rare that the disease itself, in this case Covid, is often much riskier to health.

“When you give a drug to 50 million people, when you search for side-effects, you need to remember some of the issues detected are things that just happen anyway and would have happened whether the person was vaccinated or not,” Doherty said.

The most common side-effects are mild and are similar across the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines: tenderness and pain at the injection site, feeling tired, chills or fever, headache, and joint pain or muscle ache. People receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine may also more frequently experience nausea than those receiving Pfizer’s, though it is still common with the Pfizer vaccine.

Independent expert review in Australia of cases of suspected anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) following the AstraZeneca vaccine concluded that there is no increased risk of anaphylaxis associated with the vaccine above the expected rate for any other vaccine.

“Anaphylaxis is a very rare side-effect that can occur with any vaccine,” the TGA said, and it is important to note people are monitored for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine.

Topics

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Victorian hospitals insist AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, amid reports of 'quibbling' among healthcare workers
By Kristian Silva and Jessica Longbottom
Posted 3hhours ago, updated 1hhour ago

Most Australian adults will be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine.(
ABC News: Isabella Higgins
)
Share

Some Victorian healthcare workers have been told they will be sent to "the back of the queue" if they miss vaccine appointments, as some hold out hope of receiving the Pfizer jab instead of the AstraZeneca injection.
Key points:

• Pointed emails have been sent to health staff, telling them not to be picky over which vaccine they receive
• Authorities insist both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are safe
• Some staff have expressed concerns over possible side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine

It comes amid reports of reluctance among some workers to get the AstraZeneca injection, which is now being produced in Melbourne by CSL and is more widely available than the Pfizer product.
An email, sent to all staff at Austin Health last week, reiterates to workers that "you do not get your choice of vaccine".
"Both vaccines have been shown to be very safe and effective, with the recent release of the outcomes of AstraZeneca clinical trials in the United States providing further specific evidence of the efficacy and safety of that vaccine," chief executive Adam Horsburgh wrote.
Mr Horsburgh noted concerns among staff may have been fuelled by reports of possible side effects from the AstraZeneca injection in Europe. However, he said there was no sign the vaccine was linked to blood clots.
Mr Horsburgh urged staff to treat colleagues with respect, saying there had been people "taking their frustrations out" on vaccination clinic and call centre staff.

Frontline health workers are among the first to receive vaccines before the rest of the population. (
ABC News: Harry Frost
)
Another all-staff email from Northern Health, signed by the service's infectious diseases director and chief medical officer, said "both available brands are safe and have excellent efficacy".
So you have questions about the COVID vaccines? We have answers

Confused about Australia's vaccine rollout? We've tracked down the answers to the questions you've been asking.
Read more
Craig Aboltins and Wanda Stelmach said staff were "privileged" to have access to the vaccines, given there had been 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide.
"The brand of vaccine is not allocated according to priority group and individuals can't choose which brand they receive," they wrote.
Victoria's Department of Health has confirmed it is not mandatory for frontline workers or those dealing directly with COVID-19 patients to be vaccinated.
Across the country, more than 670,000 people have received COVID-19 vaccines, well behind the federal government's initial target of 4 million by the end of March.
The rollout has been especially slow at doctors' clinics, where most phase 1B recipients have been instructed to attend.
Reports of workers 'quibbling' over vaccine choice
Annie Butler, the federal secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, said she had heard reports of workers "quibbling" over which vaccine they received.

"A small minority of people are choosing to quibble over which vaccine they might prefer — some countries don't have any choice at all, and not even a vaccine," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"I haven't heard this to be a huge issue uniformly across the country, but I have heard small pockets of it."
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
LISTEN
Duration: 13 minutes 22 seconds13m

Listen to Annie Butler's interview with Virginia TrioliDownload 6.1 MB
At Barwon Health, where both drugs were being administered, chief executive Frances Diver said "small numbers" of staff had tried to re-book appointments in order to receive a different vaccine.
"Some people have raised concerns about the difference between Pfizer and AstraZeneca," Ms Diver said, while adding both drugs were safe.
Ms Diver said staff who turned up to appointments were not given a choice of which drug was administered, and any unfilled spots were quickly filled by other workers.
Like other vaccines, there are well-known side effects
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
WATCH
Duration: 1 minute1m

AstraZeneca vaccine rollout should not be suspended, say experts.
Suzi Nou, the president of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, said some workers were reluctant to receive the AstraZeneca injection because of concerns around short-term side effects.
"Among colleagues in private, they're definitely scheduling their vaccines at the end of the working week, because if they're getting those side effects they want it to happen on the weekend, not when they're at work," she said.
"But that's not unique to any vaccine.
How to talk about vaccines

It's normal for people to have questions about new vaccines. So what's the best way to respond?
Read more
"I work in operating theatres, I'm exposed to it … almost every lift I'm in, whenever I'm in theatre, I get asked what I think about the vaccine."
Ms Nou said there had been hesitancy among female workers who wanted to get pregnant.
The current Federal Health advice said the Pfizer and AstraZeneca drugs did not impact fertility and there was no evidence suggesting an increased risk of pregnancy complications afterwards.
Pregnant women are normally not recommended to receive the vaccines, but should consider it if they were at high risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
Federal Health Department information sheets tell recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine that less-common side effects, such as dizziness and stomach pain, are usually mild and subside in one or two days.
As with other vaccines, such as the flu jab, common side effects include pain and tenderness in the injection area, fatigue, headaches and fever.
Similar common side effects have also been listed for the Pfizer vaccine, with one doctor describing his post-injection experience as "vigorous".
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
WATCH
Duration: 4 minutes 2 seconds4m 2s

How will the coronavirus vaccines work?
Findings recently published in The Lancet found the AstraZeneca vaccine had an 81 per cent efficacy rate when its second dose was given three months after the first.
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) continue to back the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
In recent weeks, several European countries and Canada suspended or restricted their usage of the vaccine due to a small number of recipients developing blood clots.
However, the EMA has stated that the vaccine was not associated with an increase in blood clot risks, and the benefits of the AstraZeneca injection outweighed the risk of side effects.

 

[Papsmearer]

Victorian hospitals insist AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, amid reports of 'quibbling' among healthcare workers
By Kristian Silva and Jessica Longbottom
Posted 3hhours ago, updated 1hhour ago

Most Australian adults will be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine.(
ABC News: Isabella Higgins
)
Share

Some Victorian healthcare workers have been told they will be sent to "the back of the queue" if they miss vaccine appointments, as some hold out hope of receiving the Pfizer jab instead of the AstraZeneca injection.
Key points:

• Pointed emails have been sent to health staff, telling them not to be picky over which vaccine they receive
• Authorities insist both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are safe
• Some staff have expressed concerns over possible side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine

It comes amid reports of reluctance among some workers to get the AstraZeneca injection, which is now being produced in Melbourne by CSL and is more widely available than the Pfizer product.
An email, sent to all staff at Austin Health last week, reiterates to workers that "you do not get your choice of vaccine".
"Both vaccines have been shown to be very safe and effective, with the recent release of the outcomes of AstraZeneca clinical trials in the United States providing further specific evidence of the efficacy and safety of that vaccine," chief executive Adam Horsburgh wrote.
Mr Horsburgh noted concerns among staff may have been fuelled by reports of possible side effects from the AstraZeneca injection in Europe. However, he said there was no sign the vaccine was linked to blood clots.
Mr Horsburgh urged staff to treat colleagues with respect, saying there had been people "taking their frustrations out" on vaccination clinic and call centre staff.

Frontline health workers are among the first to receive vaccines before the rest of the population. (
ABC News: Harry Frost
)
Another all-staff email from Northern Health, signed by the service's infectious diseases director and chief medical officer, said "both available brands are safe and have excellent efficacy".
So you have questions about the COVID vaccines? We have answers

Confused about Australia's vaccine rollout? We've tracked down the answers to the questions you've been asking.
Read more
Craig Aboltins and Wanda Stelmach said staff were "privileged" to have access to the vaccines, given there had been 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide.
"The brand of vaccine is not allocated according to priority group and individuals can't choose which brand they receive," they wrote.
Victoria's Department of Health has confirmed it is not mandatory for frontline workers or those dealing directly with COVID-19 patients to be vaccinated.
Across the country, more than 670,000 people have received COVID-19 vaccines, well behind the federal government's initial target of 4 million by the end of March.
The rollout has been especially slow at doctors' clinics, where most phase 1B recipients have been instructed to attend.
Reports of workers 'quibbling' over vaccine choice
Annie Butler, the federal secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, said she had heard reports of workers "quibbling" over which vaccine they received.

"I haven't heard this to be a huge issue uniformly across the country, but I have heard small pockets of it."
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
LISTEN
Duration: 13 minutes 22 seconds13m

Listen to Annie Butler's interview with Virginia TrioliDownload 6.1 MB
At Barwon Health, where both drugs were being administered, chief executive Frances Diver said "small numbers" of staff had tried to re-book appointments in order to receive a different vaccine.
"Some people have raised concerns about the difference between Pfizer and AstraZeneca," Ms Diver said, while adding both drugs were safe.
Ms Diver said staff who turned up to appointments were not given a choice of which drug was administered, and any unfilled spots were quickly filled by other workers.
Like other vaccines, there are well-known side effects
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
WATCH
Duration: 1 minute1m

AstraZeneca vaccine rollout should not be suspended, say experts.
Suzi Nou, the president of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, said some workers were reluctant to receive the AstraZeneca injection because of concerns around short-term side effects.
"Among colleagues in private, they're definitely scheduling their vaccines at the end of the working week, because if they're getting those side effects they want it to happen on the weekend, not when they're at work," she said.
"But that's not unique to any vaccine.
How to talk about vaccines

It's normal for people to have questions about new vaccines. So what's the best way to respond?
Read more
"I work in operating theatres, I'm exposed to it … almost every lift I'm in, whenever I'm in theatre, I get asked what I think about the vaccine."
Ms Nou said there had been hesitancy among female workers who wanted to get pregnant.
The current Federal Health advice said the Pfizer and AstraZeneca drugs did not impact fertility and there was no evidence suggesting an increased risk of pregnancy complications afterwards.
Pregnant women are normally not recommended to receive the vaccines, but should consider it if they were at high risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
Federal Health Department information sheets tell recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine that less-common side effects, such as dizziness and stomach pain, are usually mild and subside in one or two days.
As with other vaccines, such as the flu jab, common side effects include pain and tenderness in the injection area, fatigue, headaches and fever.
Similar common side effects have also been listed for the Pfizer vaccine, with one doctor describing his post-injection experience as "vigorous".
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
WATCH
Duration: 4 minutes 2 seconds4m 2s

How will the coronavirus vaccines work?
Findings recently published in The Lancet found the AstraZeneca vaccine had an 81 per cent efficacy rate when its second dose was given three months after the first.
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) continue to back the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
In recent weeks, several European countries and Canada suspended or restricted their usage of the vaccine due to a small number of recipients developing blood clots.
However, the EMA has stated that the vaccine was not associated with an increase in blood clot risks, and the benefits of the AstraZeneca injection outweighed the risk of side effects.

That Aussie blonde nurse is cute. Can PAPsmearer give her a meat injection too?

 

[nato33]

Plenty of leeches available in Singapore....

Which species is the most effective?

View attachment 105733

Teo Chee Hean resembles Ho Ching at one quick glance. Is he prettier or she she more handsome?

 

[Hypocrite-The]

UK regulator found 30 cases of blood clot events after AstraZeneca vaccine use
Vials with Covid-19 Vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of British pharmaceutical
Vials with COVID-19 Vaccine stickers attached and syringes with the logo of British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. (Photo: AFP/Justin Tallis)
02 Apr 2021 10:54AM
(Updated: 02 Apr 2021 11:00AM)
Bookmark
LONDON: British regulators on Thursday (Apr 1) said they have identified 30 cases of rare blood clot events after the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, 25 more than the agency previously reported.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said it had received no such reports of clotting events following use of the vaccine made by BioNTech and Pfizer.

The health officials said they still believe the benefits of the vaccine in the prevention of COVID-19 far outweigh any possible risk of blood clots.

Some countries are restricting use of the AstraZeneca vaccine while others have resumed inoculations, as investigations into reports of rare, and sometimes severe, blood clots continue.

On Mar 18, the UK medicines regulator said that there had been five cases of a rare brain blood clot among 11 million administered shots.

On Thursday, it put the count at 22 reports of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, an extremely rare brain clotting ailment, and eight reports of other clotting events associated with low blood platelets out of a total of 18.1 million doses given.