France authorizes AstraZeneca vaccine for the elderly

France has expanded its recommendations for AstraZeneca Plc’s covid-19 vaccine, saying it can now be used to immunize the elderly.

The three vaccines currently in use, including that of AstraZeneca, have shown “remarkable efficacy”said the Minister of Health, Olivier Veran, Monday in an interview on the France 2 television channel.

France and other countries of the European Union, What Germany, In the beginning recommended to administer Astra vaccine only to persons under 65 years of age, arguing that there is insufficient data from clinical trials on efficacy in the elderly.

Germany too could you revise your position on this. The country’s immunization committee will issue an “updated recommendation very soon,” committee chairman Thomas Mertens said over the weekend.

Other countries including United Kingdom, have been administering the vaccine to elderly people since the beginning of the year, which provides concrete evidence of its effectiveness. Data collected from hundreds of thousands of people vaccinated in Scotland, the week of February 22, for example, they found that the vaccine reduced hospitalization by 94%.

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