03 Feb

European Union countries are divided over plans to inoculate elderly citizens with the coronavirus vaccine developed by British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

The EU authorized conditional marketing of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine on Friday for people over 18 while noting that data on its efficacy is lacking for people aged 55 and older.

France's top health advisory body is recommending that the vaccine only be used on people under 65, citing insufficient data about its effectiveness in older people.

The head of the advisory body said data on the drug's effectiveness in older people will become available in the next few weeks, and that an assessment will be made at that time.

The French government is expected to refrain from vaccinating people aged 65 and over based on the recommendation.

Sweden issued a similar recommendation on Tuesday, and the German government has indicated it will refrain from vaccinating people 65 or older, following a recommendation from an expert committee.

Such decisions contrast with that of Britain where the elderly are receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

nhk