CNCAV, subordinate to the Government of Romania, has taken the decision to suspend vaccination in Romania with the ABV2856 batch of AstraZeneca vaccine, which will continue to be used, and all the details are available in detail below.
"Regarding the ABV 5300 lot of 1,6 million doses of vaccine distributed in 17 countries of the European Union (Lithuania, Estonia, Luxembourg, Latvia, Ireland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Austria, Greece, Sweden, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, France , Iceland), for which certain states took the decision to temporarily suspend vaccination with vaccines from the respective batch and for which the European Medicines Agency started an investigation, we note that Romania did not receive doses from this batch.
Regarding the ABV 2856 batch for which Italy decided to temporarily suspend vaccination with the vaccine from the mentioned batch, we specify that Romania received the first installment of AZ vaccine of 81.600 doses on 07.02. needle. Starting with the date of 15.02 AC, 77.049 doses were used, being distributed in the following counties: Arad, Bacău, Bihor, Bistrița-Năsăud, Botoșani, Caraș Severin, Cluj, Dolj, Galați, Gorj, Hunedoara, Iași, Maramureș, Mehedinți , Neamț, Olt, Sălaj, Satu Mare, Suceava, Timiş, Vâlcea and Vaslui. The other 4.257 can be found in the Vaccination Centers in Bacău, Bihor, Botoșani, Dolj, Gorj, Iasi, Neamț, Suceava, Timiș, Vâlcea, Vaslui counties and 60 doses at the Craiova Regional Storage Center.
During this evening, a meeting was held in which the representatives of CNCAV, INSP, MS, ANMDMR participated. The situation of the two batches of vaccines was analyzed and the following aspects were unanimously decided:
- As an extreme precautionary measure, it was decided to temporarily quarantine the remaining doses until the evaluation of the European Medicines Agency is completed;
- Vaccination continues with all other vaccines from the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca from the other batches currently available in Romania;
- The 4.257 unused doses in the vaccination centers are being replaced, so that the immunization process is not affected.
We mention the fact that this decision was taken as an extreme precautionary measure, without there being at this moment in Romania any scientific argument that would have imposed this decision.
We reiterate the fact that the decision to quarantine the respective batch was taken exclusively on the basis of the event reported in Italy.
Today, 11.03.2021, following the preliminary analysis of the cases of thromboembolic events reported in Austria regarding the batch ABV 5300, the EMA issued an official statement announcing that at this time there are no indications of a causal link between the vaccine and reported adverse events.”
