La Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital epidemiologic unit head Professor Eric Caumes does not wish to get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine inoculated. The professor thinks, after reading the data released by the Pfizer laboratory on the vaccine, that the adverse effects are too severe. “I’ve never seen such a high rate of side effects for a vaccine”, he says.
Yet, Eric Caumes defends himself from any conspiracy-theory accusation: he tells Le Parisien that “I’m one of those promoting vaccine the most. […] I’m even convinced vaccine is the only think that can get ourselves out of a bind” he says on LCI. The professor explains he trusts AstraZeneca vaccine and even the Chinese vaccine more than the Pfizer one.
When reading data made available by Pfizer, La Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital epidemiologic unit head started to worry. “There may be a problem in the Pfizer vaccine”, Caumes thinks. “The rate of adverse effects is exceptionally high. There are more side effects in young people than elderly people, and even more after the second dose than the first one”. Data from the Pfizer laboratory report many side effects. “15.8% of people aged 18-55 have had a 38°C+ [fever] within the seven days following the second injection. And 45% of them had to take medicine against fever or pain. 55% of people got a headache, 62% fatigue” professor Caumes lists to Le Parisien.
In spite of it all, Eric Caumes urges elderly people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, but recommends young people and people without comorbidities to wait. “Other vaccines are coming. Rushing to these two vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) is precipitation excess”. He adds: “today, the world is rushing, we are in the middle of a commercial drift”.
The success of the Covid vaccines also depends on the future of science. According to the professor, it is crucial not to rush to the first remedy that exists and accept if a product is not reliable: “if one messes up, the entire vaccinology history will be brought into disrepute. Today, we feel like we have to choose a side. Everything is not black or white, it can be grey and we shall say so”.
In the United Kingdom, the health authorities have advised against the vaccine to people “people with a significant history of allergic reactions”. Albert Bourla guarantees that despite how quick the vaccine has been created it remains safe. This allegation has been supported by the FDA that considers the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is safe.
