Top EMA official suggests ditching AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine where others are available
- Several countries have stopped administering the AstraZeneca coronavirus shot to people below a certain age because of concerns about blood clots
- But the European Medicines Agency’s head of vaccine strategy said the risk-benefit ratio of using it still remains favourable for all age groups
Marco Cavaleri, the EMA’s head of vaccine strategy, told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper in an interview published on Sunday that the Johnson & Johnson jab should be preferentially used for the over 60s.
Both so-called viral vector vaccines are authorised for everyone over 18 but have been dogged by reports of rare blood clots.
Several EU member states, including Italy, have stopped administering the AstraZeneca shot to people below a certain age, usually ranging from 50 to 65, restricting its use to the older population, due to the rare cases of blood clotting, mainly among young people. The EU has also authorised two mRNA vaccines, from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
Asked if it would not be better to ban AstraZeneca vaccines including for the over 60s, Cavaleri said: “Yes, and it is an option that many countries, such as France and Germany, are considering in the light of the increased availability of mRNA vaccines.
“However, incidents were very rare and after the first dose. It is true that there is less data on the second dose, but in the United Kingdom it [the vaccination programme] is going well.”