Korean health authorities have approved the use of AstraZeneca vaccine for the first time as a novel coronavirus vaccine.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration made this decision today (10th) at the final review committee meeting on vaccine approval attended by external experts and others.
In addition to the clinical data previously submitted by AstraZeneca, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is approved for all adult age groups, subject to approval and submission of the results of phase 3 clinical trials currently in progress for 30,000 people including 7,500 elderly people in the United States. I got off. In addition, interim results were requested to be submitted by the end of April.
However, it was decided to write in the’Precautions for use’ that “the use for the elderly over the age of 65 should be carefully decided.”
The Korean government plans to start vaccination on the 26th with priority to nursing hospitals and nursing facility inpatients.
In recent years, some European countries have decided to’restrict vaccinations’ because data on clinical trials of the AstraZeneca vaccine in elderly people over 65 years of age are inadequate.
It is known that Japan will also start vaccination against the novel coronavirus next week.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in a high-ranking party-political meeting that day, after authorities confirmed the efficacy and safety of the corona vaccine, they plan to start vaccination next week.
According to local media, the Japanese Medicines Review Agency, the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Comprehensive Organization, will hold a review on the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer vaccine on the 12th and decide on approval for use on the 15th.
When approval is confirmed, it is known that priority vaccination will be given to medical workers starting on the 17th.
VOA news