A government spokesperson denied today dodging questions from Parliament on Monday over the withdrawal of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Moroccan market and said the issue will be discussed when parliamentary committees are fully operational.
“The government is ready to address any topic in Parliament without hesitation. As Parliament finalizes its committee structures and begins its work, the government will discussing various issues. There are no subjects off-limits for dialogue,’ Mustapha Baitas said during a weekly press briefing on Thursday.
On Tuesday,m AstraZeneca announced it had begun the worldwide withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine due to a “surplus of available updated vaccines” that target new variants of the virus.
Morocco has used millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as was the case in 150 countries worldwide, and defended its continued use when several European countries, including Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, decided to suspend its use.
While the vaccine proved safe and effective overall, it did pose a risk of a rare yet serious side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (TTS), which occurred in approximately two to three individuals per 100,000 vaccinated with the Vaxzevria vaccine. Morocco’s ministery of health had affirmed the existence of the side effect.
“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,” Morocco’s health minister had said.
Side effects include the formation of blood clots in unusual locations, such as the veins of the brain or abdomen, coupled with a low platelet count in the blood. This combination can lead to abnormal clotting and bleeding, resulting in symptoms such as severe and persistent headaches, abdominal pain, unusual bleeding, and in severe cases, difficulty breathing due to blood clots in the lung
But AstraZeneca announced it’s retiring its Vaxzevria vaccine due to an abundance of newer options designed to combat emerging COVID-19 variants.
Despite the retirement, AstraZeneca emphasized Vaxzevria’s role in controlling the pandemic, with independent estimates suggest the vaccine saved over 6.5 million lives in its first year, with over 3 billion doses distributed globally.
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