(Adds background)
TORONTO, March 1 (Reuters) - Canada's National Advisory
Committee on Immunization released new guidelines on Monday that
advise against vaccinating people who are 65 years and older
with AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, citing lack of
information about efficacy in that age group.
The vaccine was authorized for people who are 18 and older
by drug regulator Health Canada on Friday. The committee's
recommendations are not binding, but may influence provincial
vaccination plans.
Health Canada's decision noted that available clinical trial
data was too limited to reliably estimate how well the vaccine
worked in people 65 and older.
But it also said "emerging real world evidence" in places
that had already started using the vaccine suggested a potential
benefit and no safety concerns.
A preliminary study of Scotland's vaccination drive
published last week suggested AstraZeneca's shot had been highly
effective in preventing severe infections there.
In Germany, advice to use the vaccine only for people under
65 has led to low uptake of available doses.
(Reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by Franklin Paul and
Jonathan Oatis)
Astrazeneca (AZN)
