Italy has reported eight suspected deaths following the use of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine, said Nicola Magrini, director general of the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa).
“We have 8 deaths and 4 serious accidents, some of which occurred many days after vaccination. As investigative checks are underway, the deadlines are being delayed, and we have launched an urgent collection of data and documentation”, – he said in an interview with la Repubblica newspaper.
Magrini reiterated his opinion about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, reassuring those who had already taken the first dose of the drug. According to him, they “should not do anything other than to report possible symptoms to their doctor”.
“The decision to suspend was taken because several European countries, including Germany and France, chose to stop vaccinations after recent sporadic adverse events and suggested taking a break for checks and then starting over. It was a political choice”, – said the CEO of Aifa.
Speaking about the general availability of the vaccine, Magrini recalled that according to the national vaccination plan, 20 million doses per month will be available in the country by the summer.
“The Russian facility Sputnik V can pass the assessment of the European agency EMA in May”, – said the head of the regulator.
Last week, prosecutors of three Sicilian cities began to investigate the deaths of three people shortly after being vaccinated against coronavirus infection using the drug AstraZeneca. Recently, the prosecutor’s office in the Piedmont city of Biella seized a batch of vaccine from AstraZeneca after the death of a music teacher who was injected with the drug. Investigators opened an investigation into the death and imposed “urgent preventive arrest on the batch of ABV5811 throughout the national territory”, they said.
The EMA said last week that it is investigating incidents of patients vaccinated with a single batch of AstraZeneca vaccine in a number of EU countries and who have later reported thromboembolic complications. WHO recommended that countries continue to use the vaccine.
A number of EU countries, including Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Denmark, Bulgaria, Norway, Iceland, Slovenia, Sweden, Italy, France, Germany and Spain, have suspended the use of this vaccine, which has been authorized by the European drug regulator EMA to application in the European Union.