Professor Laiškonis evaluated coronavirus vaccines: he predicts that one of them will be the most desirable

Following this news, Lithuania also announced its position: vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine will resume, it will be vaccinated by all the country’s top leaders on Monday, and from now on the person will be able to choose which vaccine they want. be vaccinated.

Together with Alvydas Laiškonis, professor and infectologist at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), we discussed this news. According to the professor, it is gratifying that doubts about the vaccine have finally been dispelled and vaccination has been resumed, but some doubts still arise.

The evaluation process is still incomplete

In Lithuania, the Ministry of Health (SAM) announced on Tuesday the temporary suspension of vaccination with AstraZeneca. This decision was made after the State Drug Control Service recommended that the Ministry temporarily suspend vaccination.

“If the European Medicines Agency has decided that the vaccine is effective and safe, there are practically no other problems. However, in my head, this is an unfinished process. If such cases continue to be recorded, the Bureau will record in the manufacturer’s records that such thromboembolic events may be due to platelet depletion due to platelet depletion. Too short for everything to work out. But now everything was done according to the rules, as appropriate, ”said the professor.

The interlocutor emphasizes that it is impossible to predict what will happen in the future. Although there are very few serious side effects associated with blood clotting, the researchers say they will now pay even more attention to it.

“Approximately 17 million people have already been vaccinated with AstraZeneca. During that time, only about 40 serious cases occurred, some of which were bruises on the brain. This is a pretext for more follow-up and follow-up of the vaccines. In addition, all adverse events, both from drugs and vaccines, must be reported to the Drug Control Service ”, said Prof. A. Laiškonis.

The professor welcomes the decision to allow Lithuanians to choose which vaccine they want to vaccinate. After all, if there is a vaccine from another manufacturer in the vaccination facility at the time, the person will be able to choose it for themselves. If this is not the case, other vaccinations will have to wait, but the person will not be removed from the vaccine list.

“I don’t think people will rush to get vaccinated with AstraZeneca very soon. There has already been some loss of prestige in vaccines. However, there are people who will never get vaccinated and there are people who will get vaccinated with any vaccine. After all, in some districts of Lithuania, people are not vaccinated at all, we will not force them, no matter what the vaccine is. It is very good that now you can be vaccinated with whatever you want, “said the infectious doctor.

However, post-vaccine blood clotting complications have been reported in several European countries, although no such complications have been reported in the UK, where around 10 million have already been vaccinated with AstraZeneca.

“Does the country that made the vaccine have side effects? Maybe he didn’t report it? There are still several question marks for me. The hematologists will now pay attention. All side effects are recorded and should be investigated. Until now, no one knows if the vaccine can affect blood clotting, because there is no such data, no one is investigating. Monitoring and evaluation are necessary and monitoring will continue.

What we have in the press, we do not have differentials for each patient, for each person who has had a complication. We do not know how old he was, what other diseases he had. We only have information provided by the press. But we don’t have the main documentation, the autopsy findings, so we can’t always answer various questions from journalists, ”said A. Laiškonis.

The image has been clouded by various problems.

The professor shares the idea that vaccinating the country’s leaders can help undecided people make the decision to vaccinate. This practice has been adopted in other countries, such as Israel.

“People who doubt about vaccines pay attention to what the government is doing. If the government vaccinates AstraZeneca, if the Seimas is vaccinated, I think it will be a positive sign. Perhaps people believe that the vaccine is good. Joe Biden was vaccinated and Emanuel Macron also. In this way, people can show that the government also welcomes the decision of the European Medicines Agency. Some people will be affected by it ”, said the interlocutor.

By the way, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was recently developed and approved on the same basis as adenovirus. However, the professor does not believe that people are also beginning to fear him. The interviewee speculates that it may be the other way around: this vaccine will become one of the most desirable, because one dose is enough for it. However, the drawback of AstraZeneca is that the second dose must be given after 12 weeks.

From the beginning, AstraZeneca seemed to have “set foot”. As the professor recalls, the first blow came when vaccine manufacturers claimed that there was insufficient data on whether it was effective in people over 65. This made people hesitate. However, the vaccine was later found to be suitable for people of all ages.

It wasn’t long before supply disruptions began: planned vaccine delivery was not always possible, was scaled down, and sometimes not delivered at all. Third, the entire series of vaccines was eliminated due to a specific defect.

“People who watch, listen to television, remember that. I think these were communication problems. However, I am glad that the European Medicines Agency has cleared up the doubts. Unfortunately, it will remain in people’s memory.

I think the conclusion for everyone should be this: the vaccine is recognized as safe and effective, as decided by the European Medicines Agency. Past problems, such as the dismantling of some batches, disorderly supply, indicate that there are communication problems that have damaged the image of the vaccine. The vaccine is approved, recognized and needs to be vaccinated ”, concluded prof. A. Laiškonis.

Until Sputnik V vaccine is approved, it should definitely not be given

It is true that some compatriots openly say that they will not be vaccinated until the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is received. However, the latter has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency. According to the professor, everything will depend on the decision of the EVA, and this vaccine can really be effective.

“I really don’t think all scientists in Russia are stupid. As much as I have had an internship there in my time, there are certainly talented scientists who have done important work. However, according to the Statute of the European Union, which is not is registered in the EU is not used. Now Sputnik developers are cooperating with Hungary, trying to talk to the UK. However, there are also political issues: it has been mentioned in Lithuania that the Russian vaccine will not be vaccinated. This it is already a political decision.

This vaccine may be effective, but tests are still needed. Medicines and vaccines are not accepted in the European Union until they have been approved by the EEA. If it is already approved, such a product can be used. There are shops in Lithuanian markets where unregistered drugs are sold and people buy them at risk. Some medications are sometimes really very effective, but they are not registered because they did not submit their records to the EVA. Until a decision is made, until there are conclusions, there is no need to talk about the use of Sputnik V, because we really cannot take any risks. “