Amsterdam: Europe’s medicines regulator has recommended approving 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 per cent in the trials on which it based its decision, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in a statement.
A nurse administers the AstraZeneca vaccine to a man in Dundee, Scotland, on January 4.Credit:Getty Images
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.
“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.
