On the 28th of last month, a young kindergarten teacher at a vaccine center in Adolfa, Germany, is getting AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. Adolfa = AP Newsis
Germany also decided to expand the age range for vaccination of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine developed by AstraZeneca to 65 years of age or older. This is a measure according to the results of research showing that it is excellent in preventing infection even in the elderly.
According to the Reuters news agency on the 4th (local time), German Health Minister Jens Schfan said, “The German Vaccination Committee recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine to the elderly over the age of 65. This is good news for the elderly waiting for the vaccine. Now they can get the vaccine faster.”
Until now, the German government has limited the age of vaccination of the AstraZeneca vaccine to under 65 years because of insufficient data on clinical trials for the elderly over 65 years of age. However, it seems that the attitude has changed as the severe prevention effect of the elderly in the UK and other areas where the AstraZeneca vaccine has been widely administered has been proved one after another. Recently, the English Department of Public Health (PHE) released a due diligence result that showed a large preventive effect after 3 to 4 weeks in the age group over 80 who received the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine. Researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK also published a study showing that the severe prevention effect was found to be more than 80% in the elderly and high-risk groups.
The lack of supply of Pfizer/Moder or vaccines is also mentioned as the reason for the focus on the AstraZeneca vaccine. Previously, France also expanded the targets of vaccinations from 65 to 74 years old, and Belgium, Hungary, and Austria gradually eased the age restrictions.
The German Ministry of Health added that the AstraZeneca vaccine has a greater preventive effect when the first and second doses are set at 12 weeks, adding that it will soon announce a rule to implement such a recommendation.
Kim Pyo-hyang reporter [email protected]
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