BARCELONA – 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 vaccine made by the British-Swedish company to include more elderly patients, Spain has stuck with administering it to those 55 and under.
But critics say Spain’s reluctance to use AstraZeneca, combined with shipment delays of all three vaccines authorized for use in the EU, is threatening to leave vulnerable people exposed.