Cristina Hodgson
THE Junta is calling for voluntary vaccination with AstraZeneca for the under-60s.
Following Spain’s vaccine strategy U-turn on AstraZeneca use last week, the Regional Health Minister, Jesus Aguirre, has announced that he intends to make the booster dose for those under 60 years of age voluntary.
Councillor Aguirre wants to take his proposal to the inter-territorial council for approval and has insisted that the vaccine is ‘safe’ despite the European Medicines Agency (EMA) warning of a potential link between the shot and blood clots.
The decision to only administer AstraZeneca to over-60s leaves some two million Spaniards in limbo and it’s still undecided how the booster dose of the vaccine will be given.
Among the options considered are using another vaccine for the follow-up, or leaving it at one dose only, to which Aguirre adds the possibility of making the follow-up dose voluntary.
Aguirre warns, however, that if the vaccine is made voluntary, people who refuse to take the second dose of the vaccine now (which in principle is scheduled from May onwards, although this is pending the EMA’s decision), will only be vaccinated in the future if there is a surplus of doses.
According to official data Andalucia has fully vaccinated 6.36% of the population and 15.45% have received at least one dose.
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