The WHO flag in Geneva. (drawing) – FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
The WHO reiterated this Friday that it could not make a recommendation on a change in the anti-Covid vaccine between two doses, as France intends to do for those under 55 who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca, must of “adequate data”. “There is no adequate data to say if this is something that can be done” and so the organization’s experts concluded “that vaccine interchangeability is not something they can do. recommend at this point, ”said Margaret Harris, WHO spokesperson, during the regular UN briefing in Geneva.
She recalled that this was the position taken by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on vaccination in February when publishing its recommendations on AstraZeneca’s anti-Covid vaccine and before information on a link possible between this serum and very rare side effects. She also stressed that these scientists then called for specific research on the interchangeability of anti-Covid vaccines.
Question on the French choice
Those under 55 vaccinated against Covid-19 with a first dose of AstraZeneca will have their second with another vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna, the French High Authority for Health (HAS) announced on Friday. This concerns 533,000 people in France, according to the HAS. She had suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine for those under 55 on March 19, due to rare cases of thrombosis (blood clots) spotted in Europe. But previously, some people, especially caregivers, had received a first dose of this vaccine injected since the beginning of February.
“For these people, we now recommend administering a messenger RNA vaccine” for the second dose with an interval of 12 weeks between the two, said HAS President Dominique Le Guludec during a videoconference.