Vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccines should be stopped even for the elderly, according to Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccination at the EU Medicines Agency (EMA).
EMA still considers AstraZeneca’s vaccine safe in all age groups, Reuters writes. However, several EU countries only administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to the elderly over 60 or 65 years of age due to a somewhat increased risk of blood clots in mainly younger people.
But as the spread of infection decreases and the availability of other vaccines increases, Cavaleri believes that the use of AstraZeneca should also be stopped for the elderly, he said in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa on Sunday.
Asked if he thinks health authorities should avoid giving the vaccine to people over 60, Cavaleri said:
“Yes, and many countries, such as France and Germany, are considering it in light of the greater availability of mRNA vaccines.”
Different considerations
However, in the context of the pandemic, the EMA’s assessment is that the benefit outweighs the risk in all age groups, Cavaleri explained.
As infection rates fall and more people become protected, it will better for people to use mRNA variants such as Pfizer or Moderna, he added.
He also believes that the Janssen vaccine from the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson should only be offered to people over the age of 60.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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