European health workers’ unions say thousands of members are refusing to take one of the three Covid-19 vaccines available in the region due to efficacy concerns and reports of side effects, the latest failure to launch vaccines on the continent .
Organizations representing healthcare professionals across Europe said this week that doctors and nurses should not be required to take the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC, as it has been shown to provide less robust protection against Covid-19 than the other two. currently authorized in the European Union. They also expressed concern that reports of the AstraZeneca vaccine appear to cause stronger reactions in recipients.
Hospitals say hundreds of health professionals scheduled to receive the vaccines have not attended their meetings in recent days, while many who have been shot call patients after reporting painful headaches, fever and other symptoms. .
Politicians and scientists have insisted this week that the AstraZeneca shooting has been shown to work safely and that its non-use would undermine the fight against Europe’s pandemic. The vaccine showed an efficacy of approximately 62% in the results of late-stage clinical trials reported last year. Other data suggested that the overall efficacy was approximately 70% if the doses were further spaced. This is compared to over 90% efficacy in competing vaccine studies. However, studies on all authorized vaccines, including AstraZeneca, have found that they provide 100% protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death.
An AstraZeneca spokesman, who co-developed the vaccine with Oxford University, said: “Our vaccine has been licensed in more than 50 countries on four continents. No serious adverse events associated with the vaccination have been confirmed, “the spokesman said.