President Emmanuel Macron of France has suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in his country insists that until the European Medicine Agency (EMA) review it. Macron’s decision to suspend the vaccine as a precautionary measure following the alarm raised by some European countries within the week, but hoping to resume when the EMA give it a node, the president told the press. He said, “We have a simple guide, to be informed by science and the competent health authorities and to do it as part of a European strategy,”.
The France leader said the suspension shall remain valid until Tuesday afternoon when EMA is expected to make its position known on the use of the vaccine. Vigil360 reported on 11th March that some European countries like Ireland, Netherland, and Germany have suspended the use of the AstraZeneca shot after reported incidents of blood clotting.
The decision came in just a day after the French prime Minister; Jean Castex defended the vaccine which reverses the previous guidance from French health authorities to continue using the jab.
Castex stated on Sunday that, “At this stage, we must have confidence in this vaccine,” He explained, “If not, we’ll have delays with our vaccinations and French people will be less protected and the health crisis will last longer.” Buttressing Mr Macron’s decision during the press conference, Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez revealed that there was no change for Spain, but said it was important to give a message of guarantee and safety to the whole of the European population regarding the vaccination process.”
Macron further revealed that his country has a decision to take in the few days to come in order to arrest the spread of the pandemic cases that will involve hospitalisation. He said, “We will probably have new decisions to take in the coming days,” He revealed that government shall look into the cases town by town and region by region to see how it would be addressed.
Hospitals in Paris region are close to capacity with patients of the coronavirus and this has necessitated the need to transfer some of the patient to the outer regions of Paris as the hot spot for the pandemic has remained on the north axis around Calais and the Cote d’ Azur. Macron kicked against the third lockdown by end of January, saying instead proposed a curfew of 6 pm nation-wide and a partial lockdown on places of public gathering like bars and restaurants and other social gatherings.
