Kirsty Mckenzie
ANDALUCIA will soon offer the second dose of AstraZeneca to people under 60.
The Junta de Andalucía announced the decision on Wednesday following the Plenary of the Interterritorial Committee of the National Health System meeting.
Minister of Health and Families Jesús Aguirre said: “This decision supports the position expressed by Andalusia incessantly, since we consider that this is the best vaccine laying.”
“It is a decision that has the positive reports of the Spanish Medicines Agency and the European Medicines Agency, Scientific Societies, as well as the experience of the complete guidelines of said vaccine in other countries, in the case of the United Kingdom.”
Currently 259,071 Andalusians are awaiting a second dose of AstraZeneca and will be able to receive their second jab from next week.
On February 9, Spain began to give AstraZeneca jabs to essential workers aged 18-65 then suspended the use of the vaccine over concerns about blood clots in younger people.
It resumed use of AstraZeneca within the same group and extended it to those up to the age of 65 before once again halting it on April 17 when the Health Ministry decided to only use it for those aged 60-69 where the risk of blood clot was lower.
The switch left many in limbo with those younger people who had already received a first dose, excluded from getting a second.
By extending the interval between doses, authorities can evaluate the results of trials on mixing different vaccines before deciding whether those groups will receive a second AstraZeneca shot or another drug, the ministry said.
Carlos III Health Institute is running trials by giving Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine to patients who already received an AstraZeneca shot in order to determine effects and efficacy.
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