The European Commission granted on Friday conditional approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for people aged 18 and over.
Why it matters: This is the third vaccine to receive approval from the commission, hours after the Emergency Medicines Agency recommends its authorization.
- The EMA said the vaccine was found to be approximately 60% effective in its clinical trials, but added that there is not enough data to show results for people over 55.
- The European Commission’s conditional marketing authorization means that all 27 EU members can use the injection, but AstraZeneca must provide more data “to confirm that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.”
The big picture: European leaders expect initial supplies to be less than anticipated and are pressing AstraZeneca to offer doses produced in the UK, writes Dave Lawler of Axios.
- The EU vaccinated only 2% of its population.
- EMA approval came after Germany’s health regulator announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine should not be given to people over 65.
What they are saying: “Ensuring safe vaccines for Europeans is our highest priority. With the AstraZeneca vaccine now authorized, 400 million additional doses will be available in Europe,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.