Some Europeans choose which vaccine they want

Warsaw, Poland-Many Europeans Coronavirus vaccine. But it’s not just vaccines.

As AstraZeneca’s shots were rolled out to European Union countries this month and added to the already available doses of Pfizer and Moderna, some people recognize them as the next best vaccine (whether fair or not). I am against the provision of vaccines.

Poland began vaccination of teachers with the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday, and some were worried that they would be lined up for a vaccine they believed was less effective than others. ..

Ewellina Jankovska, principal of elementary and high schools in the Willanuf district of southern Warsaw, said no one was keen on shooting AstraZeneca. ‘School education.

“I’m still more afraid of the disease than the AstraZeneca vaccine,” said Jankovska, who was infected with COVID-19 in November and is very slow to recover.

AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish company, has developed a vaccine with the University of Oxford. Regulators in more than 50 countries, including the EU drug surveillance agency, have approved its widespread use, but have received more criticism than other regulators due to concerns about human experimentation.

Because the AstraZeneca trial included a relatively small number of older people, this drug was recommended only to people under the age of 65 in some European countries and only to people under the age of 55 in others. doing.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot acknowledged the criticism, but regulators reviewed the data and said the vaccine was considered safe and effective. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) (# If there is no character limit, add parentheses when it first appears vaccine AstraZeneca Shot provides a high level of protection against severe illness, the most important benchmark in combating the virus that killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide.

“Is it perfect? ​​No, it’s not perfect, but it’s great,” Solio said Thursday. “We are going to save thousands of lives, which is why we come to work every day.”

According to the World Health Organization, the AstraZeneca vaccine is about 63% effective in preventing symptomatological COVID-19 after two doses. This is less than the 95% efficacy reported by Pfizer and Moderna, but experts are paying attention to such comparisons as the studies were conducted at different times and under different conditions. I will. In addition, everything has proven to be very effective in preventing serious illness and death.

Peter Piot, director of the London School of Economics and Tropical Medicine, said, “If an approved vaccine is provided, take it. Everything has been found to be safe. Vaccines are the global route back to some sort of normality. “

French President Emmanuel Macron last month called the AstraZeneca vaccine “quasi-ineffective” for people over the age of 65, commenting hours before approval by the European Medicines Agency for all adults, including adults over the age of 65. Said it can be used for. Critics of Macron claimed that he spoke irresponsibly and fostered skepticism about the vaccine.

France’s 40-year-old health minister, Olivier Véran, emphasized this week that he would get the AstraZeneca vaccine to show government confidence in people under the age of 65.

In addition to the AstraZeneca issue, there was a preliminary study that raised questions about underdelivery from the EU, lack of approval in the United States, and the ability of the vaccine to fight the COVID-19 mutant found in South Africa. However, it has the advantage of being inexpensive and can be stored at the refrigerator temperature, rather than the much lower temperatures required for Pfizer and moderna. vaccine..

In Cyprus, Health Minister Constantino Iano warned that there was a risk of delaying vaccination given the limited delivery of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the coming weeks, saying, “All three vaccines Significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths. “

However, in Poland, Spain and Italy, some unions complained that members would be vaccinated against AstraZeneca and were considered less important than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccinated groups. He expressed concern that he was there.

The Spanish police union has expressed concern about the government’s decision to administer AstraZeneca bullets to police, military, firefighters and teachers.

Some Italian doctors in the private sector have rejected AstraZeneca’s shots, saying they want to provide Pfizer or Moderna shots to public health care workers.

“I’m not lean AstraZeneca, but for healthcare professionals at risk, we need to use the same vaccination strategy for everyone and avoid discrimination,” he said. Dr. Paolo Mezana, a Roman plastic surgeon who helps manage Facebook’s private medical group, said. He refused to accept AstraZeneca shots after vaccination began this week.

In Poland, the government announced earlier this month that more than one million doses of AstraZeneca are planned, so teachers can get injections earlier than planned because the vaccine will not be given to the elderly.

But instead of expressing relief, Slawomir Broniarz, head of a major teachers union, criticized the use of the vaccine for being attacked by scientists and the government.

“Irresponsible politicians and trade unions have scared teachers and caused such anxiety by providing false information about AstraZeneca’s vaccine,” said Michal Dwolchik, who heads the government’s vaccine campaign. I regret that. “

Still, anxiety remains among teachers who have been in conflict with the government for years over low wages and unpopular reforms.

Patricha Swistovska, a sophomore teacher at Willanov School, said she signed up for a shot of AstraZeneca despite fear and confusion.

“I feel that teachers are a little ill-treated. This is the vaccine they provided us. Swistowska, 39, said,” Provide the vaccine to doctors and other groups of experts. I didn’t. I have disorientation and I feel sick. I have a bad salary and this is another example we have shown. Our location. “

In Italy, the head of the SAP police union, Stefano Paoloni, opts out if police officers believe they are vaccinated with ineffective vaccines through police and the next injection when the rest of the population is present. He insisted that he could wait to receive it. Vaccination. It will defeat the strategy of vaccination of as many people at risk as possible.

Some unions are undisputedly deploying AstraZeneca, reflecting their gratitude for their protection.

Dr. Arianna Patricarca, a 52-year-old Italian dentist who received a shot of AstraZeneca on Thursday, described it as “a great opportunity and I am very pleased to have done it.”

Warsaw’s preschool director, Agnieszka Grabowska, also welcomed the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday.

“It’s a big relief,” said 48-year-old Grabowska, adding that he was exhausted after a year’s pandemic.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment all year long,” she said.

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Winfield reported from Rome. London Associated Press writer Danica Kirka. Alitz Para in Madrid. Menellaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; Angela Charlton in Paris. Contributed by Monika Scislowska of Warsaw.

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