The Oxford / AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective enough to use in adults over the age of 18, the European Medicines Agency said on Friday.
The European Commission is expected to seal the EMA’s recommendation on Friday to formally approve the vaccine in the EU with a conditional marketing authorization.
A German scientific committee said Thursday that there was not enough data to know if the punch is suitable for people 65 and older. The UK approved the vaccine in late December with an emergency temporary use permit applicable to people over 18 years of age.
The British vaccine was expected to help Europe’s backward vaccination campaigns because it is much cheaper and easier to use compared to the two EU-licensed BioNTech / Pfizer and Modern mRNA vaccines. But the company announced on Jan. 22 that it will provide at least 75 million fewer doses than planned during the first quarter.
The European Commission signed a contract in August to get 300 million doses of the viral virus vaccine, with the option to buy an additional 100 million.
The vaccine against the viral vector was long considered the first, but was delayed after clinical trial problems in the fall. Vaccine trials reported an overall efficacy rate of 70%: 62% when two participants were given two full doses and 90% when they were initially given half a dose by accident.