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(Adds AstraZeneca reaction)
AMSTERDAM, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Europe's medicines regulator
on Friday approved AstraZeneca and Oxford University's
COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 18, the third
vaccine to be cleared for use in the European Union.
The AstraZeneca vaccine demonstrated an efficacy of around
60% in the trials on which the decision was based, the European
Medicines Agency (EMA) said in a statement https://bit.ly/3pwGYlx.
“With this third positive opinion, we have further expanded
the arsenal of vaccines available to EU and EEA member states to
combat the pandemic and protect their citizens,” said Emer
Cooke, Executive Director of EMA.
Europe urgently needs more shots to speed up its inoculation
programme with suppliers such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna
facing difficulties in delivering the quantities promised for
the early months of the year.
There were not yet enough results for people over the age of
55 to determine how well the vaccine would work for this group,
EMA said. However, it said protection was expected and that the
vaccine can be given to older people.
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot welcomed the decision.
"Today’s recommendation underscores the value of
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine which is not only effective and
well-tolerated, but also easy to administer and, importantly,
protects fully against severe disease and hospitalisations," he
said in a statement.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is administered via two injections
into the arm, the second between 4 and 12 weeks after the first.
The European Union last year agreed to buy up to 400 million
doses of the vaccine.
Concerns over its value for the elderly were raised on
Thursday when Germany's vaccine committee said it should be
given only to people aged between 18 and 64, due to a lack of
data about how effective it is in older people.
(Writing by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru, Editing by Douglas
Busvine, Keith Weir and Elaine Hardcastle)
