Korean senior citizens soon fit Astra… Switzerland blocked all-age vaccination

The Swiss government has rejected the approval of the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to use the COVID-19 vaccine. There are countries in Europe that have restricted vaccinations for elderly people, but this is the first time that vaccinations of all ages have been blocked.

On the 3rd (local time), the Swiss government refused to approve the use of the multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca vaccine due to lack of data to prove its efficacy. [EPA=연합뉴스]

On the 3rd (local time), Swiss Medic, the Swiss pharmaceutical regulatory authority, issued a statement. The clinical trial data submitted by AstraZeneca said it could not be approved for use.. This is because the data are insufficient and it is difficult to positively evaluate the safety, efficacy and quality of vaccines.

Swiss Medic “More clinical data must be obtained for accurate evaluation, and new research is needed for this”He explained. However, it is not the final decision, and he said that he is awaiting the results of phase 3 tests in progress in North and South America. The plan is to immediately review and judge the relevant data when it is submitted.

Switzerland has signed a contract with AstraZeneca to supply 5.3 million doses of vaccine, according to Reuters. However, as the approval for use was denied, the introduction and vaccination of the vaccine were withheld.

Instead, it signed an additional 17 million batches with a number of pharmaceutical companies, including German Curebag and US Modena and NovaVax. Reuters reported that the vaccines secured so far are more than 30 million doses, which is sufficient for 8.6 million people to get two doses.

French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference on the 29th of last month, “AstraZeneca vaccine seems to be useless for people over 65.” [AP=연합뉴스]

Earlier, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. But Concerns over vaccinations for the elderly continued. Among clinical trial participants, only 9.7% of participants over 65 years of age were evaluated as being unable to guarantee efficacy and safety.

Accordingly, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, and Poland recommended that elderly people 65 years of age or older should not receive the AstraZeneca vaccination, and Belgium restricted the number of people to be vaccinated to under 55 years of age.

AstraZeneca signed a contract to purchase 10 million vaccines Korea also holds an advisory meeting for the verification team and continues to discuss the vaccine license. At the first meeting on the 1st, a number of advisory groups made an opinion that vaccinations for the elderly over 65 years of age are possible and concluded that they could grant conditionally.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety receives additional advice and announces the results at the second advisory meeting on the 4th. With the final approval of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, AstraZeneca vaccine will be supplied at the end of this month, and it is expected that the elderly and workers in nursing hospitals and facilities will be vaccinated first.

Kim Sang-bong, head of the Bio-Pharmaceutical Bureau of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, is announcing the results of the AstraZeneca novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine verification advisory meeting at the briefing room of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Cheongju, Chungbuk on the afternoon of the 1st.[연합뉴스]

AstraZeneca is repeating its claim that its vaccine can prevent Corona 19. In a statement on the rejection of approval by Switzerland, “We will share new clinical data with Swiss Medic for approval as soon as possible,” and emphasized that “Our vaccine has already been approved for use in more than 50 countries.”

Andrew Pollard, a professor at Oxford University in the UK, who led the clinical trial, rebelled against the’dance theory over 65′ in an interview with the BBC. “The clinical trial data are small, but the immune response results were similar to those of the younger people.” “The AstraZeneca vaccine elicited an excellent immune response even in the elderly,” he claimed.did.

A woman in the UK is getting the AstraZeneca vaccine. [AP=연합뉴스]

On the previous day Oxford University, which co-developed the vaccine with AstraZeneca, released the latest study findings that a single vaccination maintained 76% effectiveness for up to 3 months.did. The researchers revealed that the effect of the second vaccination after 12 weeks increased to 82.4%, and the longer the vaccination interval, the higher the protective effect appeared. Professor Pollard also said, “This result is to once again verify the immune effect of the vaccine.”

The paper also included findings that the vaccine could slow the spread of the virus by reducing the likelihood of infection. However, the Washington Post reported that the clinical trial participants were 17,000 people aged 18-55, and the sample size was small and still incomplete.

Reporter Lee Min-jung [email protected]