The Directorate-General for Health (DGS) admits that users under 60 years of age vaccinated with the first dose of AstraZeneca's covid-19 vaccine can receive the second dose or wait for information about the combination with another vaccine.«
“People under 60 years of age can: take a second dose of Vaxzevria [new name given to AstraZeneca] with a 12-week interval after the first dose, in accordance with the current European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommendation ) or wait for new data to be known regarding the use of a vaccine from another brand, to complete the vaccination schedule», refers to the standard updated today by the DGS.
“This decision must be informed, free and clarified, after reading the information leaflet that will be available in due course”, adds the document available on the official website of the institution directed by Graça Freitas.
The newly revised standard recalls the occurrence of thrombotic phenomena within 14 days after vaccination and that this was recommended, after the benefit-risk assessment in the meantime carried out by the European Medicines Agency, for people over 60 years of age.
Last week, the European agency made a second update on its guidelines regarding this vaccine, in which it recommended that people who had been inoculated with the first dose should complete the vaccination schedule with the second dose, since at that time there was « limited information' on the possibility of combining with another of the available vaccines.
However, the DGS is clear regarding the vaccination schedule for users over 60 years of age, for whom it recommends taking the second dose of the vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford with an interval of 12 weeks after the first dose .
Secretary of State for Health António Lacerda Sales commented today on the update of the standard by the DGS to reaffirm that Portugal follows the recommendations of international organizations, namely the European Medicines Agency, and «is prepared to make all adjustments to the plan in articulation with what are the guidelines of international organizations».
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