Morocco’s Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb denied any “fatal side effects” from the AstraZeneca vaccine, stressing that “the company – while the reason for people’s concern and delving into the subject at this particular time is unknown – only spoke in its statement about very rare side effects.”
“Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has not talked about this subject as it considers it outdated, and because it has already approved the use of the vaccines in question,” added the Health Minister, in a statement to Hespress Ar to mark the halfway point of the government’s term. He stressed that “there’s no drug or vaccine without side effects.”
Ait Taleb underscored “since the early days of using AstraZeneca or other vaccines, their potential side effects have been well-publicized, including blood clots and thrombocytopenia in some people with strong immune systems that react strongly to the vaccine, particularly among younger individuals.”
The Miniter explained that “the vaccine’s benefits are proven and outweigh the risks and their impact;” that’s why the WHO authorized and approved its use, as it has with all other vaccines.”
The organization, he added, has issued a recommendation, stating that “the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines may activate an anti-platelet mechanism, leading to a decrease in platelets. However, such cases are rare and improbable.”
Ait Taleb stressed that this recommendation has been followed in Morocco, as the vaccine in question has been administered to those without immune stress–those above 55 years of age.
He downplayed “the potential risk of side effects that occur three weeks after vaccination, and it is strange to be talking about them after three years.
The Minister also addressed “the recent controversy sparked by some health sector unions regarding the privatization of Ministry-owned buildings and real estate, as well as the concerns raised by social partners about the potential risks associated with financing the health system through this method.”
“This is not about privatization; rather, these are state-to-state transactions, meaning between public institutions and entities,” adamantly clarified Ait Taleb, stressing that “hospitals and buildings are public facilities and institutions, and they will always remain public.”
He pointed out that “the employees of these facilities are only interested in working within a public institution that remains state-owned; because they are employed under a specific framework, and they don’t care whether it is leased or purchased. Ultimately, it remains a facility administered by the State Property Directorate.
The minister also discussed the “Mobile Health Units” project, which he deemed “an unprecedented royal initiative” that contributes to “bringing healthcare services closer to residents of villages, mountains, and remote areas.”
He described it as “a wise management of regional disparities aimed at bridging the gap in healthcare services between urban areas and Moroccan rural areas, both in terms of qualifications and service provision, while working to overcome the shortage of human resources.”
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