Doctors urge Spain to use AstraZeneca vaccine more widely

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Chaffing under Spain’s sluggish vaccination rollout, regional health authorities and doctors are urging the central government in Madrid to widen the categories of people who can receive the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

While other European countries like Germany, France and Italy have expanded the use of vaccines made by the British-Swedish company to include more elderly patients, Spain has stuck with administering it to those 55 and under, according to an AP report.

But critics say Spain’s reluctance to use AstraZeneca, combined with shipment delays of all three vaccines authorised for use in the EU, is threatening to leave vulnerable people exposed.

“That has greatly compromised our vaccination strategy, ” regional health authorities in Catalonia said. “There are, for example, teachers and police officers over 55 years old who still don’t have a chance to get a vaccine, while their younger colleagues already do.”

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