In the US, there are two approved COVID vaccines – one from Pfizer and the other from Moderna – that are being administered to anyone over 16 and 18, respectively. But, according to the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the initial priority was for those over 75, because they are particularly vulnerable to suffering serious COVID diseases. Now, two new vaccines are on the horizon in the United States – one from Johnson & Johnson and the other from AstraZeneca. The latter is already in use in the UK and half a dozen other countries. However, German authorities have just released a statement that they do not recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine for the most susceptible group – people over 65. To find out why the elderly should not get this vaccine, read on and for more updates on the vaccine, check The Grim COVID Rumor that the White House just confirmed.
CNN reports that on January 28, the German vaccine commission recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine not be administered to people over 65, according to a statement from the German Interior Ministry. The statement cited a study by the Standing Committee on Vaccination at the Robert Koch Institute in Germany, which concluded that there was insufficient data on the vaccine’s effectiveness for this specific age group. Under his guidance, the vaccine should only be offered to people between the ages of 18 and 65. And for the most up-to-date news from COVID delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
The German Ministry of Health expressed concern that not enough elderly people were included in the initial trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine to consider it safe and effective for this population. According The Guardian, Jens Spahn, Germany’s Federal Minister for Health said in a statement, “It has been known since the fall that fewer seniors have been included in the tests provided by AstraZeneca than tests by other manufacturers.” Without comprehensive experimental data on people over 65, experts are concerned about how the vaccine will affect this population. And for more precautions with the vaccine you should get, check out why Dr. Fauci says that doing this after being vaccinated is a big mistake.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is already widely used abroad, but there have been some cases that have questioned its effectiveness. According to the Australian Broadcasting Company, the average effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine during testing was about 7 percent, considerably lower than Pfizer and Moderna, which have efficacy rates close to 95 percent. For another vaccine update from one of these companies, find out why the CEO of Moderna just made this scary prediction about COVID.
AstraZeneca is unlikely to be able to request approval for its vaccine in the U.S. until spring, reports Business Insider. During the original trial, a portion of participants over 55 years of age mistakenly received half a dose on their first injection. Because of this error, AstraZeneca is awaiting the results of a larger study based in the United States to submit information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Registration for the AstraZeneca trial for 30,000 people in the US began in September and Phase 3 is ongoing. The results of this trial are likely to prove the vaccine’s effectiveness for people over 65.
After obtaining FDA approval, the vaccine will also have to be approved by the CDC’s Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP), which means that we probably won’t see this vaccine in the United States before the summer. To see what side effects might come with your second dose, check out Dr. Fauci Says He Had These Side Effects from His Second Vaccine Dose.