[서울신문] EU AstraZeneca approved… Confusion over’Efficacy for the Elderly’ in Member States

獨 “Do not inoculate adults over 65”
佛 “For 18-64 years old” 伊 “Recommended for 18-55 years old”
EU-UK cooperation friction… Criticism of vaccine noodleism

The European Union (EU) approved the use of a COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, a joint drug company in Britain and Sweden, and controversy over the effects of the vaccine on the elderly population caused confusion, including taking different measures for each member country. Amid the recent expansion of neurological warfare between the EU and the UK due to a lack of vaccine supply, the controversy over the AstraZeneca vaccine is heating up.

AFP news agency reported on the 30th (local time) that German Health Minister Jens Schfan said that he will review the vaccination rankings by age according to the health authorities’ recommendation not to vaccinate adults over 65 years of age with the AstraZeneca vaccine. As a result of the action of the vaccination committee under the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that the vaccine was only 8% effective for those over 65 years old, and the day before, “Only those aged 18 to 64 should get AstraZeneca vaccine.” However, it differs somewhat from the position of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which recommends conditional approval of the vaccine and that it can be used in the elderly.

France also raises doubts about the efficacy of the vaccine in the elderly and is in a position to wait for the results of the review by its own health authorities. French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the media the day before, “I think the AstraZeneca vaccine is invalid for those over 65.” President Macron’s comments came a few hours before the EMA issued recommendations for approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Italy recommended AstraZeneca vaccines for adults aged 18 to under 55 years old, and took steps to further reduce the age range. The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) recommended that the vaccines for adults 55 years of age and older are inadequate as a result of clinical trials.

Earlier, when the EU announced that AstraZeneca could reduce its vaccine supply than promised due to production problems caused by a factory fire, the EU took a step back after proclaiming that it would bring the UK-made vaccine to Europe. In addition, the executive branch, the EU Commission, even said it would block the export of vaccines produced in the EU region. The World Health Organization (WHO) secretary-general Thewardros Adhanom Governor Yeosus even criticized “vaccine nationalism”. Some even said that the EU’s appearance was the’back end’ of the British leaving them with Brexit. CNN criticized “The ugly vaccine nationalism started in Europe, which generally emphasizes world-class equality.”

Reporter Ahn Seok [email protected]