The coronavirus vaccine by Oxford / AstraZeneca is safe and effective enough to use in adults over the age of 18, the European Medicines Agency announced on Friday.
The European Commission is expected to later stamp the EMA’s recommendation to formally approve the vaccine in the EU with a conditional marketing authorization, with the rubber stamp.
A German scientific committee said Thursday there is not enough data to know if the jab is suitable for people 65 and older. The UK approved the vaccine at the end of December with a temporary authorization for emergency use applicable to people over 18 years of age.
The British vaccine is expected to help Europe’s backward vaccination campaigns, as it is much cheaper and easier to use compared to the two mRNA vaccines from BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna that are licensed in the EU. But the company announced on January 22 that it would offer at least 75 million doses less than expected in the first quarter.
The European Commission signed a contract in August to secure 300 million doses of virus vector vaccine, with the option to buy another 100 million.
The viral vector vaccine has long been considered the precursor, but was delayed after clinical trials in the fall. The vaccine trials reported a total efficacy rate of 70 percent – 62 percent when participants received two full doses and 90 percent when they initially accidentally received half a dose.