No more doubts: Britain recommends limiting AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 40

LONDON – The scientific committee overseeing the UK’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign recommended on Friday that the AstraZeneca vaccine restricted to over 40s, after 242 cases and 49 deaths from rare thrombi.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization had already advised in April that the AstraZeneca vaccine and the University of Oxford should only be given to people over the age of 30 if possible.

UK medicines regulator MHRA announced at a press conference that it had registered 242 cases of rare blood clots – 49 of which resulted in patient deaths – in people who have received the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, among over 28 million doses administered.

However, according to its director, June Raine, the benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks of disease for “the vast majority” of the population, especially the elderly, who are more likely to develop severe forms of Covid-19.

Due to these unusual thrombi, several European countries have stopped the use before a certain age of the vaccine developed by the Anglo-Swedish laboratory AstraZeneca and scientists at the University of Oxford.

London, which has always defended a vaccine presented by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson as “a success of British science” he spoke again on Friday in his favor.

“The Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, effective and has already saved thousands of lives in the UK and around the world.” said a government spokesperson.

“As the MHRA – the UK’s independent regulatory body – and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization have said, the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks for the vast majority of adults.” , he added.

Precision

The British health authorities will apply the advice of the scientific committee “as a precaution” and they will administer “an alternative vaccine” when possible to “people under 40 without underlying health problems,” he said.

This should not, however, he stressed, delay the pace of vaccination, the goal of which is to have offered a first dose to all adults in the country by the end of July.

In addition, all people who have already received a first dose of AstraZeneca / Oxford should receive a second dose of the same vaccine, regardless of their age, except those who have had thrombi.

In April, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said blood clots should be listed as a “very rare” side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while considering the benefit / risk balance to remain “positive”.

In addition to AstraZeneca, Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are currently licensed in the UK, which has one of the most advanced vaccination campaigns in the world.

Almost 35 million people, out of a total population of 66.5 million, have received a first dose, and more than 16 million the two doses needed in the country most affected by Covid-19 in Europe, with more than 127,000 death.

Agencia AFP

THE NATION