Health Minister Roberto Speranza said Tuesday that Italy's COVID-19 vaccination campaign is set to go ahead full steam with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) expected to continue to back AstraZeneca's jab.
Italy and several other countries have suspended use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, pending renewed backing from the EMA, amid fears about possible links to blood clots.
"The Italian government considers vaccines the key to bringing this period to an end," Speranza told a joint session of the Lower House's and Senate's social affairs committees.
"What has happened does not dent our faith.
"So our vaccination campaign is going ahead and it must accelerate.
"The hope is that the (final) response from the EMA will come tomorrow.
"We have the utmost faith and we demand the maximum level of safety".
The minister added that the government was working on getting Italy's pharmacies and nurses involved in the vaccination campaign.
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