(Adds more comments)
PARIS, March 16 (Reuters) - French vaccination chief Alain
Fischer said on Tuesday he expects the suspension of AstraZeneca
COVID-19 shots to be temporary.
Germany, France and Italy said on Monday they would suspend
AstraZeneca inoculations after several countries reported
possible serious side-effects, but the World Health Organization
said there was no proven link and people should not panic.
Fischer told France Inter radio that the number of cases of
people showing adverse side-effects was small.
"The ultimate element of analysis is the benefit-risk,
whatever happens", he said.
He also said that Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca's vaccine was
not second tier.
"Vaccination is moving forward. Vaccination is here and will
continue," Fischer said.
Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said France's
decision had been taken in co-ordination with other European
countries.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Matthieu Protard, editing by
Louise Heavens and Nick Macfie)
Astrazeneca (AZN)
