Brussels approves AstraZeneca vaccine, third in European Union

The European regulator has given the green light to AstraZeneca's vaccine despite German reluctance.

AP - Silvia Izquierdo

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

This Friday evening, the European Commission authorized the marketing of AstraZeneca / Oxford's vaccine against Covid-19, after the green light from the European regulator.

A green light delivered in record time compared to the two vaccines already approved, those from Pfizer in late December and Moderna in early January.

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The European Medicines Agency did not officially receive the request for validation of

AstraZeneca's vaccine

until January 12, but in reality, it had started its study several months ago, reports our correspondent in Brussels,

Pierre Benazet

.

It further claims that it has more data to rely on than when approving vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech.

The agency had at its disposal four clinical trials carried out in South Africa, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

This allows him to say that the vaccine designed by AstraZeneca and the laboratories of the University of Oxford is effective in 59.5% of cases, during these clinical trials at least.

The Committee for Human Medicines has therefore decided to recommend authorization for this vaccine from the age of 18, a decision that does not take into account the fears of the German vaccine commission.

The latter also reiterated, this Friday, its recommendation not to authorize AstraZeneca's vaccine for people aged 65 and over, taking the opposite view of the European regulator.

But for the European Medicines Agency, there is no limit for the administration of this vaccine to the elderly.

Only a few hours after its green light, Brussels formally authorized the marketing of the vaccine.

I expect the company to deliver the 400 million doses as agreed,

 " said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter, while AstraZeneca has been under the wrath of European leaders for several days. due

to significant production delays

.

We have just authorized the @AstraZeneca vaccine on the EU market following a positive assessment by @EMA_News



I expect the company to deliver the 400 million doses as agreed.

We will keep on doing all we can to secure vaccines for Europeans, our neighbors & partners worldwide

- Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 29, 2021

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  • European Union

  • Vaccines

  • Germany

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