(Recasts to focus on AstraZeneca)
MADRID, April 7 (Reuters) - Spain will only give
AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine to people over 60 years old
after European and British regulators found a potential link
between the shot and rare brain blood clots.
"The vaccination strategy is changing and from tomorrow only
over 60-year-olds will be vaccinated with AstraZeneca," Health
Minister Carolina Darias told a news conference late on
Wednesday following a meeting of regional health chiefs.
Darias said a decision would be taken on Thursday on whether
to administer the second round of the vaccine to people who had
already received their first dose.
The European Medicines Agency announced earlier it had
reports of 169 cases of the rare clotting disorder out of 34
million doses administered within Europe, roughly one for every
100,000 people under 60 vaccinated. Most occurred in women under
60 and within two weeks of injection. [nL1N2M01J1
Maria Jesus Lamas, director of Spain's drug regulator, said
that number was higher than expected, though very small:
"Despite the rarity of these side effects, the modification to
the technical guidance is important," Lamas said.
A summit of European Union health ministers failed to agree
on common guidance for the vaccine and the EMA said countries
should set their own regulations.
Spain's decision follows Italy recommending the shot only
for those over 60 and Britain said people under 30 should get an
alternative.
People lining up for a shot in Madrid earlier on Wednesday
vented frustration at constantly changing guidance for the
vaccine, which is subject to a patchwork of different rules
governing its use.
"Today has been a very distressing day because of all the
news coming from the European Medicines Agency," said Carmen
Ruiz after coming out of Atletico Madrid's Wanda football
stadium, now converted into a vaccine centre.
Though Spain is faring better than neighbouring France,
where rampant infections have pushed hospital admittance rates
to near five-month highs, the daily caseload has been increasing
for three weeks.
The health ministry registered 8,788 new cases, bringing the
total to 3.33 million. The death toll rose by 126 to 76,037.
Wary that increased social contact over Easter could trigger
a full-blown fourth wave, authorities in Catalonia, the Basque
Country and Aragon imposed fresh restrictions on movement.
(Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette, Guillermo Martinez, Elena
Rodriguez, Nathan Allen and Joan Faus, editing by Andrei Khalip
and Grant McCool)
Astrazeneca (AZN)
