London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

"I Will Have AstraZeneca": Italian PM Amid Safety Concerns Of Vaccines

"I Will Have AstraZeneca": Italian PM Amid Safety Concerns Of Vaccines

Italy's medicines regulator suspended the use of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines on Monday following fears of a link to blood clots - despite the country's deteriorating health situation.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi sought Friday to reassure Italians over the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, which was suspended this week before being declared safe, saying he would have it himself.

"I have not yet made a booking, but my age group is among those who are allowed to have the vaccine and yes, I will have the AstraZeneca," the 73-year-old told a news conference, the day after the EU medicines agency gave the jab the green light.

"My son had it the day before yesterday in England," he added.

Italy's medicines regulator suspended the use of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines on Monday following fears of a link to blood clots -- despite the deteriorating health situation which saw most of the country put into partial lockdown this week.

But administration of the jabs resumed on Friday afternoon after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Thursday declared the vaccine "safe and effective".

Draghi defended the suspension -- which government sources suggested led to 200,000 fewer jabs this week -- and said that while it had slowed the vaccination campaign, "this slowdown has not been disastrous".

He also suggested Italy could bypass the EU's joint procurement strategy to buy Russia's Sputnik V vaccine -- maybe even if the EMA does not approve it.

Asked what Italy would do if the EU regulator's approval did not come quickly, he said: "If European coordination doesn't work, especially in a matter like health, you have to be ready to go it alone.

"This is what (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel said and this is what I say here."

Merkel said Friday that Germany will order the Sputnik vaccine if it is authorised for use in the European Union, adding that Berlin could secure supplies on its own if the bloc would not.

While she would prefer that orders were placed in bulk by the bloc, "if such an European order did not come about... then we must go the German way".

More than 104,000 people with coronavirus have already died in Italy since the pandemic swept across the country just over a year ago, according to official figures.

A fresh surge in infections caused the government to shut schools, restaurants and shops in most of Italy on Monday, for at least three weeks.

Draghi, a former president of the European Central Bank who took over at the head of a national unity government last month, says the only way out of the crisis is through the vaccination programme.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
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
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×