Greece’s National Vaccination Committee has officially recommended that AstraZeneca’s coronavirus shot be distributed in Greece according to schedule on Tuesday.
The Committee advised that the vaccine be given out as planned despite concerns about potential links between the inoculation and blood clots after a number of people who had received the vaccine later suffered from thrombosis.
Several incidents of thrombosis, or the formation of blood clots, have been reported in Austria and Denmark, and two deaths have occurred in patients there who had just received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Currently, a number of countries, mainly in Europe, have halted distribution of the vaccine, including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and France.
WHO and EMA urge countries to continue with AstraZeneca vaccine
The World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency, the EU’s drug regulator, urged countries to continue to give out the shot, as both bodies conduct extensive trials of the vaccine and investigate potential risks.
They argue that the vaccine, which is among the cheapest on the market and is widely used across Europe, is integral in the campaign to inoculate as many people as possible and to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“There is no evidence that the incidents are caused by the vaccine and it is important that vaccination campaigns continue so that we can save lives and stem severe disease from the virus,” Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesman, stated Sunday.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Greece’s National Vaccination Committee cited the recommendation of both the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency as fundamental in their decision, stating:
“The committee examined that data available to date and unanimously judged that there is no reason to change its recommendation…The Committee underlined that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the continuation of vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
Lower incidence rate of blood clots in those with shot than in general population
Before the shot was released, AstraZeneca conducted rigorous trials to determine the safety of the drug, and blood clots were not identified as a potential side effect of the shot during testing.
The EMA urges the public to remain calm, as blood clots are not uncommon, and the recorded instances of thrombosis may have no link to the vaccine whatsoever.
In fact, the occurrence of blood clots in those who have received the shot is actually lower than the incidence rate amongst the general population.
Greece records 1,533 new cases, 605 intubations, 59 deaths
Greece recorded a total of 1,533 cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, 399 more than the 1,134 cases diagnosed in the country on Monday.
A total of 12,495 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country during the day, with the positivity rate jumping to 12.3% in Greece. Yesterday, Monday, the positivity rate was 8.64%.
The number of patients with Covid-19 who are currently intubated in Greece reached 605 on Tuesday, which represents 41 more than those recorded on Monday.
The influx of patients who are currently intubated, which involves placing a tube down a person’s throat to assist in breathing, has put immense strain on the country’s hospitals.
Tragically, 59 people with the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which is 13 more than those who died with the virus on Monday.
666 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed Attica alone; 148 in Thessaloniki
Of the 1,533 coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 666 were located in Attica, home to the city of Athens.
Instances of the virus were particularly high in the center of the city itself, where 179 cases of Covid-19 were identified Tuesday.
Tests showed that in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, a total of 148 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in the last 24 hours.
Total 223,789 coronavirus cases in Greece since the start of the pandemic
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 223,789 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the country, including all those who have recovered from the virus.
Of the cases diagnosed in Greece in the past seven days, just 72 are associated with foreign travel and 1,916 have been linked to contact with a known case.
Of the 605 patients intubated currently, 82.1% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 68.
On Tuesday alone, 446 people with the coronavirus were admitted to hospitals in Greece.
Additionally, a total of 1,505 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
The 59 new deaths recorded on Tuesday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 7,196, and 95.8% of those who have passed away with the virus were over the age of 70 or suffered from underlying health issues.
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