AstraZeneca Corona 19 Vaccine
Among those working in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, as well as those who are hospitalized and admitted, those over the age of 65 are expected to receive the AstraZeneca (AZ) novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine.
The vaccination rate is expected to increase even faster if those 65 years of age or older who were excluded from priority vaccination due to insufficient data to prove the’vaccination effect’ of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Although several variables remain, the possibility of realizing the goal of forming the’November collective immunity’ originally proposed by the government will also increase.
A total of 316,000 people completed the first vaccination for 10 days until the 8th from the start of vaccination on the 26th of last month, and the government is planning to speed up vaccination in the future. Up to now, about 41.5% of the 76,3891 people who received priority vaccination from February to March have completed the first vaccination.
According to the central quarantine countermeasures headquarters (Bang Dae-bon) on the 9th, at a meeting between the quarantine authorities and experts held last week, opinions on allowing AstraZeneca vaccinations to those over 65 years of age prevailed.
Accordingly, it is expected that a conclusion will be drawn toward using the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is easy to distribute and store, for those over 65 years of age in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities. The government has been reviewing the Pfizer vaccine as a candidate.
In a briefing the day before, Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Bangdae Headquarters, said, “At the advisory meeting, experts gave an opinion that’the lack of evidence for effectiveness can be supplemented with British data and sufficient vaccinations can be given.’ “We plan to decide whether to allow the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
The government initially planned to inoculate AstraZeneca vaccine to workers in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, as well as all hospitalized and inpatients in the first quarter, but according to the’careful decision’ recommendation of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, those 65 years of age or older are not eligible for vaccination. Excluded.
The safety and effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been proven, but the lack of clinical studies targeting the elderly was the reason for the’careful decision’ recommendation.
However, a recent large-scale investigation in the UK showed that the AstraZeneca vaccine was effective for the elderly, and European countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Belgium turned to allow vaccinations by ending the existing “holding position”.
“The controversy about the AstraZeneca vaccine is not about safety, but the lack of evidence of its effectiveness for people over 65,” said Jae-Hoon Chung, a professor of preventive medicine at Gachon University Medical School. “The controversy has ended with the coming out,” he explained.
“Foreign governments are also actively considering the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 years of age,” he added.
Commissioner Eun-kyung Jeong at a briefing for Corona 19
If the Vaccination Specialized Committee this week finalizes the vaccination policy for people aged 65 or older, both nursing hospitals and nursing facilities will be able to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Bang Dae-bon plans to hold a vaccination expert committee this week, but the exact date has not been confirmed yet.
“There are about 370,000 inhabitants or inpatients, and workers over 65 years of age with vaccinations on hold.” “We plan to establish an inoculation plan as soon as possible in consideration of the amount of secondary vaccination, etc.”
According to Bang Dae-bon, AstraZeneca vaccine will be delivered to 345,000 people (69 million doses) this month and 75,000 people (1.41 million doses) from April to May through the international vaccine supply organization’CoVax Facility’. .
Separately, 500,000 of the 13 million vaccines contracted by the government with Pfizer will be available at the end of this month, and 3 million will be supplied in the second quarter.
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