The leaders of Norway, Ireland and Spain have said their countries will formally recognise Palestine as a state next week for the sake of “peace in the Middle East“, prompting Israel to immediately recall its envoys.

The three European countries will formally enact recognition on May 28 despite Israel’s warnings of the consequences.

Spain and Ireland said the decision was not against Israel nor in favour of Hamas, but rather in support of peace.

Israel reacted angrily, warning the move would mean more instability in the region and recalling its ambassadors to all three countries.

Both Hamas and its rival, the Palestinian Authority, have welcomed the recognition.

Norway was first to make its announcement Wednesday in a move co-ordinated with the other two countries.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in an address that the move was “in support of moderate forces that are on a retreating front in a protracted and cruel conflict”.

“This is an investment in the only solution that can bring lasting peace in the Middle East,” he added, referring to the so-called two-state solution which would see an Israeli and a Palestinian state existing peacefully next to each other.

Ireland and Spain followed suit soon after.

“Today, we state clearly our unambiguous support for the equal right to security, dignity, and self-determination for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples,” Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said.

The country’s Prime Minister Simon Harris later stressed that “Hamas is not the Palestinian people”.

“Today’s decision to recognise Palestine is taken to help create a peaceful future,” he said.

Mr Harris’s comments were echoed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who said the move was “not against Israel, is not against the Jews”.

“It is not in favour of Hamas which is something that has been said. This recognition is not against anyone, it is in favour of peace and coexistence.”

Israel reacted to the announcements with fury. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he was ordering the immediate return of the Israeli ambassadors to all three countries for “consultations”.

“Israel will not go over this in silence – there will be other serious consequences,” he said.

Mr Katz also said that the three countries’ ambassadors in Israel will be summoned for “reprimand talks”, during which they will be shown a video of the abduction of female Israeli soldiers on 7 October.

Hamas, which controls Gaza and is currently at war with Israel, said Wednesday’s announcements would be a “turning point in the international position on the Palestinian issue”.

In a statement to AFP, Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas figure, said the “brave resistance” of the Palestinian people was behind the move.

Hamas’s rival, the Palestinian Authority (PA) – which controls parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank – said Norway, Spain and Ireland had demonstrated their “unwavering commitment” to “delivering the long overdue justice to the Palestinian people”.

Also on Wednesday, the Israeli military approved the return of Israeli citizens to the sites of three settlements in the occupied West Bank, which they had been banned from entering since 2005.

Israel’s parliament had voted to allow its citizens to return in March last year, but military permission was needed for the bill to be enforced.

Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

The issue of Palestinian statehood has vexed the international community for decades.

Since the 7 October attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on his opposition to such a plan, saying the creation of a Palestinian state would compromise Israel’s security.

Israel’s foreign ministry said in a post on social media on Tuesday that recognising a Palestinian state would lead to more “terrorism, instability in the region and jeopardise any prospects for peace”.

About 1,200 people were killed in the unprecedented attacks on 7 October, when Hamas gunmen burst into Israel. They took 252 others back to Gaza as hostages.

Since then, more than 35,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s Gaza offensive, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Most of the world already recognises the state of Palestine. Earlier this month, 143 of the 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of it joining the UN, something only states can do.

Before Wednesday’s announcements, only nine European countries supported Palestinian statehood and most of those took the decision in 1988 when they were part of the Soviet bloc.

Most other European countries, and the US, still believe recognition should come only as part of a long-term two-state solution to the conflict.

A White House spokesperson said US President Joe Biden was a “strong supporter” of the two-state solution, and believed “a Palestinian state should be realised through direct negotiations, not through unilateral recognition”.

Slovenia and Malta have also said recently that they were considering a formal recognition.

Norway’s prime minister also said on Wednesday that he hoped the recognition of Palestinian statehood by the three countries would bring renewed momentum to the peace talks.

Long-running negotiations in Cairo aimed at securing a truce and further hostage releases are currently stalled.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Earlier this week, the UN said food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah had been suspended due to a lack of supplies and insecurity.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently applied for arrest warrants for Mr Netanyahu and Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, for war crimes. Both Israel and Hamas have condemned the move.

Israel says an offensive in Rafah is needed to eliminate Hamas but the international community has warned against it, saying it will greatly exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

World Opinions – Agencies

L’article Ireland, Norway and Spain to recognise Palestinian state.. Video est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.

The magnitude 6.8 quake that struck late on Friday southwest of the city of Marrakesh has killed nearly 2,681 people and injured 2,501 others, many seriously, according to official figures.

Rescuers in Morocco have been using their bare hands as desperate search efforts continue for survivors of Friday’s powerful earthquake.

Fortunately food supply can never a problem in Morocco❤️#earthquake #Maroc #moroccoearthquake #Morocco #earthquakemorocco #pray #hope #god #Marrakesh #MarrakeshEarthquake #Solidarity #مراكش pic.twitter.com/u2sdySaI21

— Maaz ShaheenⓂ️ (@MaazShaheen4) September 11, 2023

A mother cries in pain after she received the news of the tragic loss of her children in the devastating earthquake that struck #Morocco. 🇲🇦💔 pic.twitter.com/yrPrmDZ0V1

— PALESTINE SUNBIRD 🇵🇸 (@SBPal_Eng) September 11, 2023

Morocco’s government is under pressure to accept more international aid, as rescuers battle with exhaustion.

So far, it has accepted help from only four countries – Spain, the UK, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

In Bahamas after horrible Hurricane Dorian in 2019, we did this across many islands…drop off food & water and bring back to hospitals the people that were injured. We can maximize the resources and take care of food and medical together! 🙏#ChefsForMorocco pic.twitter.com/XNZWUvlPiL

— José Andrés 🇺🇸🇪🇸🇺🇦 (@chefjoseandres) September 11, 2023

Here are some organisations that are collecting donations to help the people of Morocco.

As heroic rescue missions continue around the clock, sometimes with people digging through rubble with their bare hands in towns and villages that are virtually demolished, there are organisations collecting donations to accelerate lifesaving efforts.

#Maroc #Morocco #Marruecos #Fas #earthquakes #المغرب pic.twitter.com/Xy0yWdEOcm

— Neslihan Atagül Fan (@kneslihanatagul) September 11, 2023

This video just sent to me by the @WCKitchen team in Morocco.. WCK will always be getting meals to people after disaster in whatever way needed.. cars, food truck, boats, helicopter… and at the same time as bringing meals we can also help with necessary evacuations for people… pic.twitter.com/t7TDY0by9Z

— José Andrés 🇺🇸🇪🇸🇺🇦 (@chefjoseandres) September 11, 2023

Here are some of them:

Bank Al-Maghrib

Mohammed VI of Morocco called for the creation of a bank account supported by the country’s Treasury and Bank Al-Maghrib, the Moroccan central bank, to receive relief contributions from citizens and the global community, including private and public institutions who wish to help.

pic.twitter.com/5pqGVTuX4g

— Bank Al-Maghrib (@BankAlMaghrib) September 10, 2023

Banque Alimentaire du Maroc (Morocco Food Bank)

The non-profit collects food from various donors and redistributes it through a network of associations and social protection institutions. They shared their bank details on social media, encouraging people to support their efforts.

Donations are also possible through their website here.

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Une publication partagée par Banque Alimentaire (@banquealimentaire)

Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

The independent organisation is providing medical care and equipment to affected areas and is mobilising teams to assess needs in the aftermath. It is accepting donations here.

GlobalGiving

The US-based non-profit agency that connects donors with grassroots projects around the world is also raising money for victims. According to the organisation, the funds will be allocated to provide food, water and medicine to survivors, in addition to shelter and temporary housing.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC)

The IFRC, which has a Morocco-based team, is also accepting general donations for its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, as they “assess the need for an emergency appeal” in grief-stricken Morocco.

In a statement, the organisation said that it disbursed one million Swiss francs (more than $1.1m) from their Disaster Response Emergency Fund to support Moroccan Red Crescent activity on the ground.

UNICEF USA

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed that the United Nations is ready to assist the government of Morocco.

According to the UN, consultations are ongoing to identify areas where the UN and its partners can provide support in the coming hours and days.

UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, is working to support affected children and families in Morocco.

World Opinions + Aljazeera

L’article How to support Morocco’s earthquake victims.. Video est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.

Scientists have found a naturally occurring strain of bacteria which can help stop the transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans.

They found it by chance, after a colony of mosquitoes in one experiment did not develop the malaria parasite.

The researchers say the bacteria could be a new tool for fighting one of the world’s oldest diseases, which kills 600,000 people every year.

Trials assessing its safety in the real world are now taking place.

Scientists at a research facility in Spain, run by the GSK pharmaceutical company, made the discovery after noticing that a colony of mosquitoes being used for drug development had stopped carrying malaria.

“The infection rate in the mosquitoes started dwindling and so by the end of the year the mosquitoes just would not be infected with the malaria parasite,” says Dr Janneth Rodrigues, who led the programme.

The team froze the samples from their 2014 experiment and went back to them two years later to explore what had happened.

Further studies revealed that a specific strain of bacteria – TC1 – which is naturally present in the environment, had stopped the development of the malaria parasites in the gut of the mosquitoes.

“Once it colonises the mosquito, it lasts for the entire lifespan,” says Dr Rodrigues.

“And we found out that, yes, it is the bacteria which was responsible for reducing transmission in those mosquitoes.”

New data published in Science magazine suggests the bacteria can reduce a mosquito’s parasite load by up to 73%.

The bacteria works by secreting a small molecule, known as harmane, which inhibits the early stages of the malaria parasite growing in the mosquito’s gut.

In conjunction with Johns Hopkins University, the GSK scientists discovered that harmane can either be ingested orally by the mosquito, if mixed with sugar, or absorbed through its cuticle on contact.

This lays open the possibility of treating surfaces in areas where the insects rest with the active compound.

End the threat

More trials are now taking place at a contained field research facility called MosquitoSphere in Burkina Faso to assess how effective and safe it would be to use harmane at scale in the real world.

The hope is that by developing this bacteria-based intervention into a product, scientists may soon have another tool in the box against one of the world’s oldest diseases.

Malaria kills about 620,000 people a year – often children under the age of five. Vaccines have now been developed, but they are still in the early stages of being rolled out in Africa.

Gareth Jenkins, from the charity Malaria No More, said the new discovery was promising.

“Malaria kills a child every minute. Significant progress has been made in reducing the global burden of malaria, but to get us back on track we need new and innovative tools in the arsenal.

“With a strong innovation pipeline, it is possible to end the threat of malaria in our lifetimes.”

By Naomi Grimley – BBC News

L’article Chance discovery helps fight against malaria est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.

Under the heat of the Barcelona sun, a pro-independence party, Together for Catalonia, is holding a campaign event ahead of Sunday’s general election in Spain.

About 40 people are gathered to hear speeches before a video message is shown, recorded by the former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont.

He lambasts the Spanish state, comparing its lack of democratic credentials to Hungary and Poland, and calls for an independent Catalan republic.

It is a low-key event compared to the massive demonstrations that led up to Catalonia’s attempt to secede in 2017.

The Spanish authorities responded to that bid by clamping down with police action and temporarily imposing direct rule in the region, while Mr Puigdemont fled to Belgium, where he has remained ever since.

But this Sunday’s Spanish general election could have a major impact on the country’s simmering territorial issue. The result, many believe, will decide whether the relationship between Catalonia and Madrid improves or flares up once again.

“If the right wins, the situation could complicate in Catalonia,” said Lola García, a journalist at La Vanguardia newspaper who wrote an account of the 2017 crisis.

“We might well go back to seeing heightened tensions there.”

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared improving the febrile atmosphere in Catalonia a priority when he first took office in 2018, and again when he formed a new coalition government in 2020.

With that aim in mind, his administration pardoned nine politicians who had been jailed for their role in the 2017 independence bid.

It also reformed the penal code, eliminating the crime of sedition and modifying the crime of misuse of public funds – both of which changes benefitted Catalan leaders who were facing legal action.

Meanwhile, Mr Sánchez’s government has also engaged in slow-moving talks with the pro-independence Catalan administration aimed at resolving the territorial problem.

“Today the situation in Catalonia is nothing like it was in 2017, 2018 or 2019,” Mr Sánchez said recently, describing the Socialists as “a party that defends the union of Spain”.

However, reducing the tensions in Catalonia has come at a cost for Mr Sánchez.

The conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right Vox have repeatedly attacked him for making concessions to nationalists and for receiving the parliamentary support of the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left (ERC).

His reliance on the parliamentary votes of the Basque nationalists of EH Bildu – the successor to the political wing of the defunct Basque group Eta, which is deemed a terrorist organisation by the EU – has compounded that opprobrium, with some in his own party also expressing unease.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the PP’s candidate for prime minister, warned that Mr Sánchez has “made Spain a hostage of those who want to break the territorial unity of our country”, a message many voters seem to endorse.

The conservative leader has also tacitly criticised Mariano Rajoy, the PP’s prime minister during the 2017 Catalan crisis.

“We probably should have acted earlier and not let things go as far as they did,” Mr Núñez Feijóo said, suggesting he would be more proactive than his predecessor.

A Spanish government that is hostile to regional identities could have an upside for the independence movement, reviving it after several years of in-fighting, according to journalist Lola García.

She also believes plans by the Catalan government, led by the moderate ERC, to stage a Madrid-approved referendum on independence in the coming legislature are likely to go nowhere.

“The Catalan government is aware that it will not achieve [a negotiated referendum] either with the PP in government or the Socialists,” she said. Instead, she believes the regional administration is pushing for increased powers within its current arrangement as an autonomous region.

With the PP ahead of the Socialists according to most polls, but looking unlikely to secure an absolute majority, it is quite possible that Spain’s next government will be formed by the conservatives in a coalition with the hardline unionists of Vox.

“We already know that a PP-Vox government would mean a threat to political freedoms and rights and democratic institutions here in Catalonia,” said Meritxell Serret, minister of Foreign Action and the EU for the Catalan government.

She pointed to areas of Spain where the two right-wing parties have already formed governing partnerships since local elections in May, such as the Valencia region and the Balearic Islands.

In both cases, the new local government has announced plans to eliminate the office for defence of local languages, which opponents see as an attempt to eliminate regional identities.

While Ms Serret says the Catalan government is not satisfied with the concessions made by the Sánchez administration, she frames the possibility of Vox entering a right-wing coalition in dramatic terms.

“Vox have been threatening they will illegalise pro-independence parties, for example,” she said.

“We fear, and people fear, that they can represent a step back for our democracy to very dark moments when civil rights [and] freedoms were not only attacked, but were annulled. This is what they represent nowadays.”

World Opinions + BBC News

L’article Debate. Spain’s snap election revives issue of national unity est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.

Southern Europe will continue to swelter next week as an intense heatwave shows no sign of abating.

Italy, Spain and Greece have been experiencing high temperatures for several days already.

The Italian health ministry issued a red alert for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna and Florence for the weekend.

The heatwave is expected to continue well into next week, with 48C (118.4F) predicted in Sardinia, according to Italian media.

The European record high of 48.8C (119.8F) was recorded in Sicily in August 2021.

The Italian weather service said the island will be at the “epicentre” of next week’s heatwave, which weather forecasters have dubbed Charon, after the ferryman who delivered souls into the underworld in Greek mythology.

Italy’s government has advised anyone in the areas covered by Saturday’s red alerts to avoid direct sunlight between 11:00 and 18:00, and to take particular care of the elderly or vulnerable.

In Rome, tour guide Felicity Hinton, 59, told the BBC the soaring temperatures combined with overcrowding has made it “nightmarish” to navigate the city.

“It’s always hot in Rome but this has just been consistently hot for a lot longer than normal,” she said.

“My tour guide friends and I are extremely stressed out. People have been fainting on tours and there are ambulances outside everywhere.”

Rome resident Elena, 62 told the BBC that she has noticed a “marked change” in summer temperatures since around 2003, and that they have been growing exponentially since.

Meanwhile, Greece has hit temperatures of 40C (104F) or more in recent days. The Acropolis in Athens – the country’s most popular tourist attraction – was closed during the hottest hours of Friday and Saturday to protect visitors.

In Spain, a forest fire on the island of La Palma has forced the evacuation of at least 500 people.

The heatwave is set to extend to the Balkans later next week – although several countries, like Serbia and Hungary, are already experiencing daily temperatures hovering around 35C (95F).

Periods of intense heat occur within natural weather patterns, but globally they are becoming more frequent, more intense and are lasting longer due to global warming.

Last month was the hottest June on record, according to the EU’s climate monitoring service Copernicus.

Extreme weather resulting from warming climate is “unfortunately becoming the new normal”, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned.

World Opinions + Agencies

L’article Europe heatwave: No respite in sight for heat-stricken southern Europe est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.

On Wednesday 8 June 2022, Algeria’s Office of the President recently renounced a twenty-year-old Friendship Treaty between Spain and Algeria because of Spain’s recent recognition of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara, a former Spanish Colony. Since the 1970s, Algeria has long supported the POLISARIO Front and its self-proclaimed (Saharan Arab Democratic Republic).

In 1991 the United Nations opened a Mission for the Referendum in the Western Sahara (MINURSO) in conjunction with a Cease Fire between the POLISARIO and Morocco. The original plan envisioned a referendum vote by those living in the province to determine a way ahead. Because of difficulties with registration the Referendum has not been held by all parties. King Mohammed VI has offered an Autonomy Plan that has gained recognition by several countries. It would guarantee representation in a provincial government and leverage support from other democracies that would allow the Sahrawi people to be represented in government and receive aid to settle them in the province instead of The Refugee Camps occupied in Algeria since the late 1970s.

This is an unusual foreign policy move for Algeria to sever the ties of this treaty as Spain is one of its major customers for Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) sales.

The Spanish government regards Algeria as a friendly neighbor country and restates its complete readiness to keep and develop the special cooperation relationship between our two countries, to the benefit of the people of both,” a Spanish Foreign Ministry statement said.

Spain was the former colonial power in Western Sahara until it was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Since then, Algeria and neighboring Morocco have had tense ties over the fate of the Western Sahara, at one point fighting a desert war. Morocco wants some autonomy for the region under the kingdom’s sovereignty.

Algeria also broke diplomatic relations with Morocco in August 2021.

The Western Sahara issue has combined with turbulence over energy supplies from gas-rich Algeria. The Algerian press regularly refers to Spain’s backing for Morocco as a form of “treason.”

Algeria’s diplomatic slap at Spain came hours after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke at length in Spain’s Parliament on his decision to side with Morocco over the future of Western Sahara. Sanchez said having Western Sahara operate autonomously under Moroccan rule is “the most serious, realistic and credible” initiative for resolving the long dispute over the territory.

While a leader in wind and solar power, Spain still needs to import natural gas to meet its energy needs.

The recent crisis in Ukraine has prompted many European Countries to seek replacement

Suppliers of LNG as sanctions have weighed against Russia. Algeria has recently said it will favor Italy as a preferred customer for its supplies of LNG. The United States has become a supplier for Spain’s LNG and recent statements by Spanish Foreign Minister José Albares said his government has confidence in Algeria as a trustworthy supplier (of gas) and has been given guarantees from the highest level of its government” that the gas will keep flowing.

Top European Union officials said on Friday 10 June 2022 that the bloc was treating the crisis between Algeria and Spain with the “utmost concern” and warned it was prepared to take action to defend the interests of its members.

In a joint statement, European Commission executive vice president Valdis Dombrovskis and EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said the decision by Algeria to suspend a two-decade-old friendship treaty with Spain, potentially freezing trade between the two countries, appeared “to be in violation of the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, in particular in the area of trade and investment.”

“This would lead to a discriminatory treatment of an EU member state and adversely affect the exercise of the Union’s rights under the Agreement,” the statement said.

Foreign Minister Alvares of Spain insisted that “what we want is dialogue and we’re not going to give any excuse for any escalation.” His personal intervention in Belgium with the EU has rallied countries to Spain’s defense.

The statement Friday came after the EU on Thursday urged Algeria to reverse its decision.

Spain’s chief worry has been that the suspension might affect important gas supplies from Algeria, but the government said that so far this has not happened. Algeria supplies 23% of Spain’s gas needs.

Spain and the rest of the 27-nation bloc are hustling now to find alternatives to Russian energy imports to protest Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Industry ministry figures show Spain exported 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in goods to Algeria last year while it imports were valued at nearly 5 billion euros.

Algeria’s dramatic approach with Spain may have severe consequences for their economy and domestic politics now that the European Union has stepped forward to defend Spain. The Government of Algeria has now begun to back off their previous position on the Friendship Treaty with Spain.

But the question that remains open to American and European diplomacy alike is:

Is Russia trying to play the card of its Algerian ally to put more pressure on the United States and the West in general?

Will Spain, given its dire gas needs, succumb to Algeria’s pressure?

Or is the Algerian step merely a temporary escalation and a last-ditch attempt to undermine the relations between Madrid and Rabat.

By Preston McLaughlin +News Looks

L’article Algeria Suspends Friendship Treaty With Spain. What Is Next est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.

Suspensions follow reports that some people developed blood clots after receiving the shot, but the WHO and the EMA say they have seen no evidence of a link.

Germany, France, Italy and Spain have suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after several reports of blood clots in people who received the shot in Europe.

The flurry of suspensions on Monday came after a number of other countries, mostly in Europe, halted their rollouts late last week.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has backed the use of the vaccine and said it has seen no evidence that the shot had caused clotting.

The UN health agency is reviewing the reports related to shot and urged countries not to suspend vaccinations, as its top scientist said people should not panic.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in a statement that it has not found any evidence of links between reported thrombosis cases and the AstraZeneca shot, saying that the shot’s benefits outweigh the risks and was safe to use. The regulator is reviewing the shot and will issue a decision on any further action on Thursday, it said.

EU members halt shots

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the country suspended the use of the shot on the advice of the national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute.

The institute had called for further investigation into seven reported cases of clots in the brains of people who had received this vaccination.

“Today’s decision is a purely precautionary measure,” Spahn said.

France and Italy announced similar moves shortly afterwards.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the use of the AstraZeneca shot would be suspended as a precautionary measure until at least Tuesday afternoon when the European Union’s medicines regulator – the EMA – will issue its recommendation over the vaccine.

Macron did not elaborate on the reasoning behind the decision, but told a news conference he hoped France would be able to vaccinate with AstraZeneca shots again “soon”.

Italy’s medicines authority AIFA meanwhile said it was implementing its own suspension as a “precautionary and temporary measure” pending rulings by the EMA.

The announcement followed the seizure of hundreds of thousands of doses of the vaccine by Italian prosecutors in the northern region of Piedmont, where a teacher died following his vaccination.

Experts are investigating whether there is a connection between his death and the vaccination.

Late on Monday, Spain’s Health Minister Carolina Darias said the country was suspending its use of the vaccine for two weeks as a “precaution”.

She said the decision would remain in place until the EMA “analyses the recent incidences of blood clots, notably over the weekend”.

AstraZeneca has said there is no cause for concern with its vaccine, which is jointly produced with the United Kingdom’s University of Oxford, and that there were fewer reported thrombosis cases in those who received the shot than in the general population.

Peter Drobac of Oxford University told Al Jazeera the AstraZeneca vaccine went through “rigorous clinical trials” and blood clots were not identified as a problem.

“The safety pause, I think it is certainly the prerogative of the regulators in these countries. However we have heard from the World Health Organization, the European Medicines Agency and others, that at this point the benefits of vaccination clearly outweigh the risks,” Drobac said.

WHO urges calm

The EMA and the WHO also said available data does not suggest the vaccine caused the clots and people should continue to be immunised with the shot.

The WHO on Monday called on countries not to suspend vaccinations against a disease that has caused more than 2.7 million deaths worldwide. The UN health agency’s top scientist reiterated that there have been no documented deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccines.

“We do not want people to panic,” Soumya Swaminathan said, adding there has been no association, so far, pinpointed between so-called “thromboembolic events” reported in some countries and COVID-19 shots.

The reassurances appear to have done little to calm doubts, however, with several countries having now temporarily halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in recent days.

Denmark, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Bulgaria, Portugal and Slovenia were among those to suspend the use of the shot.

SOURCE : AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

L’article Germany, France, Italy and Spain halt use of AstraZeneca vaccine est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.