EXPLAINER: Why countries are halting the AstraZeneca shot
https://apnews.com/article/why-countries-stopping-astrazeneca-vaccine-shot-explained-82f4c89a76c21f287e3041b52b7a69f0Most European nations have stopped giving out the AstraZeneca vaccine. Why?
Because AstraZeneca announced there is a problem with their vaccine? No.
Because the European Medicines Agency announced there is a problem with their vaccine? No.
Because the World Health Organization announced there is a problem with their vaccine? No.
Because politicians have made this decision against the advice of the experts? Yes. Why?
Because a few people, about one in 500,000, developed blood clots shortly after receiving the vaccine. Older people are the ones who are mostly getting the vaccine. Older people are the ones who tend to develop blood clots, that can lead the strokes. But the number of people getting blood clots are no greater than the number expected. This is not my opinion but the opinion of the experts with the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization.
Only if the number of people with blood clots forming in the days after the vaccination significantly exceed the number expected, should stopping the vaccines be considered, and only if the number of expected deaths from not the vaccine exceeds the increase in number of people who get strokes. In any case, the decisions should be based on the opinion of experts, not politicians reacting to reports of people getting blood clots.
The European politicians are making the same mistake Trump made. Not following the advice of their medical experts. They need to remember that people, particularly older people, will develop blood clots, have strokes, have heart attacks, get cancer, regardless whether they receive a vaccine or not. Only if there is a surge of cases, and the medical experts have to be the ones who make this determination, should action be taken.
People’s lives will be lost because of the slowdown in the vaccination. A greater lose of lives may result in the increase of people being reluctant to take a vaccine, ever. These political decisions are made to order for the Anti-vaxxers. Even after the AstraZeneca vaccines are resumed, as I assume, they will be, they will use this episode to get people to distrust the AstraZeneca vaccine, and all the other vaccines. They will claim the governments discovered that the vaccines are harmful, but powerful interests forced the government into reversing their decisions. In Europe, as well as America, we need as many people as possible to get vaccinated. This panic by the politicians is not going to help that goal.
For ordinary people: get the vaccination when it is available to you. At the very least, if there is a significant chance you will bulk, don’t make an appointment. Instead, cancel your appointment. Don’t be a last minute no show. You will take away a vaccination from someone who needs it and want it, although, probably, someone less in need will get to take it. But it is important to decide to take the vaccine, don’t listen to internet advice from some anti-vaxxer, stay away from those sites, and go get your vaccine.
For politicians, don’t make decisions not based on the advice of the medical experts. Trump is not the only one guilty of this sin. In 2020, Europe and the better leaders for dealing with the pandemic. In 2021, I suspect it is America.
