AstraZeneca shots should be halted for over-60s too: EMA official

Following concerns about rare blood clotting and the availability of more vaccines, the head of the EU drug regulator's Covid-19 task force said on Sunday that countries should avoid giving the Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine to people over the age of 60.

Countries should also avoid giving the Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine to people over 60, the head of the EU drug regulator's Covid-19 task force was quoted on Sunday as saying, amid fears over rare blood clotting and as more vaccines become available. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) considers the Astrazeneca shot safe for all age groups. However, several European Union member states have stopped administering it 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. “In a pandemic context, our position was and is that the risk-benefit ratio remains favourable for all age groups,” Covid-19 task force chief Marco Cavaleri told the Italian newspaper La Stampa.