European countries successively approved AZ vaccine for senior citizens

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European countries, from France to Germany and Sweden, are approving AstraZeneca vaccination for the elderly.

This is because new research results have been published one after another showing that the prevention effect is high for the elderly.

This is reporter Kim Young-ah.

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Yesterday (4th), the German government officially approved the AstraZeneca Corona 19 vaccine to be vaccinated by people 65 years of age or older.

Chancellor Merkel hoped that this would allow older people awaiting vaccination to get the vaccine sooner.

[German Chancellor Merkel: It looks like we can approve AstraZeneca vaccination for the elderly.

A recent study confirmed evidence for this.] On the

3rd day, researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK released a study that showed that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is more than 80% effective in preventing severe disease in the elderly and high-risk groups.

A study at the University of Edinburgh last month found that the risk of hospitalization in Scotland after 4 weeks of AstraZeneca was reduced by around 90%.

The EU approved AstraZeneca vaccination at the end of January for all adults over the age of 18, but some European countries have restricted vaccination to older people due to lack of clinical data.

Austria also began vaccinating AstraZeneca for seniors aged 65 and over from yesterday, and Swedish health authorities have also expanded their recommendations to those over 65.

Belgium and Hungary have also expanded vaccination targets, which were limited to 55 and under 60, respectively, to the elderly.