[DigitalOne]

Spain Limits AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine To People Under 55.

Source : NDTV

Spain said on Friday it would limit use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people under 55, becoming the latest European nation to impose an age restriction on the Anglo-Swedish jab.
The move echoes earlier decisions by a growing number of countries in Europe that have restricted the vaccine's use despite the European Medicines Agency green lighting its use late last week for all adults.

Last week, the German vaccines authority advised against using AstraZeneca's vaccine for the over 65s, judging that there was "not enough data" on its effectiveness in this age group.

France followed suit on Tuesday and Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands and Sweden have taken similar steps, while Switzerland has called for "additional studies" and although Italy approved the jab, it recommended using an alternative vaccine for the over-55s.

------
Just a couple of weeks back there was a debate here on "unproven" Covaxin efficacy and comparatively how Covishield efficacy is backed by data. Now almost none of the European countries are administering Covishield to their senior citizens who are the most vulnerable.

[AZT]

South Korea to approve AstraZeneca as first COVID-19 vaccine, including for elderly

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea on Wednesday said it would grant its first approval for a coronavirus vaccine to AstraZeneca, and will allow use in people 65 years or older, despite advisory panels’ warning of a lack of data on its efficacy for the elderly.

Regulators will grant AstraZeneca’s vaccine emergency authorisation under the condition the company must submit its full clinical trial results, Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told a news conference.
“However, we have added a precautionary line for cautious decision for use of the shots the elderly aged 65 and older,” Kim said.

Several European countries have warned that the shot should only be given to those ages 18 to 64, and such concerns had threatened to upend South Korea’s plan to prioritise elderly residents and medical workers in the first round of vaccinations.

AstraZeneca and the chief of clinical trials for Britain’s Oxford University, which co-developed the vaccine, have said it triggers a good immune response in older people.

Source - https://www.reuters.com/article/reut.../idUSKBN2AA0E8

The EU also approved this for those over 18. Getting more regulators from multiple countries involved is always a good sign, this shows the extra scrutiny the vaccine has to go through.

The European Commission gave approval on Friday for the use in adults of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, the final step to allowing Europe to use it across the Union. It came amid criticism that the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.


The European Medicines Agency's (EMA) expert committee unanimously recommended the vaccine to be used in people 18 and over, though concerns had been raised this week that not enough data exist to prove it works in older people, and some countries indicated they may not give it to the elderly.
The shot is the third vaccine given the green light by the European Medicines Agency after ones by Pfizer and Moderna.

Source: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/2...e-amid-dispute

[AZT]

Unable to add to the above post as it's been a while.

Australia approves AstraZeneca vaccine, bolstering inoculation programme

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia’s medical regulator granted provisional approval for AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, bolstering a national inoculation programme it plans to begin rolling out next week.

...

“Australia now has two safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a televised news conference.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has previously acknowledged concerns about the relatively low efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine at around 62%, conceding it may not be enough to achieve herd immunity.
The first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has a 95% efficacy rate and has already been approved, arrived in Australia on Monday and authorities have planned the first inoculations for Feb. 22.

https://www.reuters.com/article/reut.../idUSKBN2AG03N

Below is a good comparison of vaccines approved globally. Found this in an article about the Sputnik vaccine which has applied for EU approval and already being used in dozens of countries. Interesting how Sputnik has a cost below $10 but matching Pfizer and Moderna effectiveness which are 3-4x more expensive. It's great that there is a separate approval process for every country so we can see when any red flags pop up.



Source: https://www.strategic-culture.org/ne...ssian-vaccine/

[vinu_h]

Those in Bengaluru and are age group 18-44 - How are you managing appointments for vaccination ? I've been at it for sometime, midnight, midday, early morning, all I see is BOOKED in red. Few times, I managed to find 1 availability, went in to block, it either says code is wrong or all slots are taken.

Yes I can invoke my contacts at hospitals, but, that's not how it should be.

Edit - What's with these mask ads ? Everyone claims, not 99.8 or 100, but precisely 99.9% efficiency against virus/bacteria.