Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

‘Up to 80%’ of people in Sicily refusing AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine over safety concerns

‘Up to 80%’ of people in Sicily refusing AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine over safety concerns

The vast majority of people offered the Oxford/AstraZeneca anti-Covid vaccine Vaxzevria on the southern Italian island of Sicily are refusing to take it, according to the region’s president, Nello Musumeci.
“In Sicily, there is an 80% refusal rate of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Every 100 people, 80 say no,” Musumeci said late Saturday night, according to media reports.

He added that it is “natural” for people to be hesitant about the vaccine – recently rebranded as Vaxzevria – but they must believe scientists when they tell them that “it is more dangerous not to get vaccinated than to get vaccinated.”

In a Sunday statement, a spokesperson for the president attempted to clear up the comments, saying Musumeci meant to say “up to 80 percent” are refusing the vaccine, as some regions have a much lower refusal rate, such as Syracuse, where just 30% apparently feared the vaccine enough to say no.

Mucumeci’s announcement followed advice earlier this week from the European Medicines Agency that blood clots should be listed as a “very rare” side-effect of the Vaxzevria. It had examined 86 cases of vaccinated individuals developing blood clots, 18 of which ended fatally.

AstraZeneca responded to the recommendation by saying it was “actively collaborating with regulators” to “implement these changes to the product information.” It referred to the clotting cases as “extremely rare events.”

Though it’s unknown exactly why blood clots can develop post-immunization, researchers in Norway and Germany have said those who developed them had antibodies that reacted negatively to the vaccine, and they had been primarily prevalent in younger individuals.

Vaxzevria has been put on pause in multiple countries. Germany, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain have recommended only people aged over 60 receive the widely distributed shot, while France and Canada have recommended alternative vaccines for younger people.

Franco Locatelli, a health adviser to the Italian government on Covid-19, said on Sunday that Vaxzevria is “safe and effective,” but added, “If we find ourselves facing a disarming number of defections, we will reconsider the issue.”

Italy, one of the countries hit worst by the pandemic, has vaccinated nearly four million citizens thus far – approximately 6% of its population of 60 million.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×