While the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be cleared in less than 10 days, its arrival could change the government’s vaccine strategy. It may only be administered to those under 65.
A possible change in the vaccine strategy
The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine is currently under study by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which will validate or not its placing on the European market and the modalities of its distribution. Less effective than the Pfizer / BioNtech and Moderna vaccines, already authorized in the European Union, it could change the vaccination strategy in place and only be administered at the age of 65.
Less tested on the elderly than other treatments, “It is possible that the European Medicines Agency will tell us that this vaccine will not be for the elderly”, declared the Minister of Health Olivier Véran Tuesday morning, about this vaccine already distributed in several countries of the world as in Brazil or in the United Kingdom.
A scenario that would change the vaccination strategy, because those under 65 should initially be eligible during the third phase, in the third quarter of 2021.
A vaccine less tested in the elderly
A study, published in the medical journal The Lancet in early December, points to the lower effectiveness (70%) of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In addition, the study notes that most of the volunteers for these clinical trials were between 18 and 55 years old. The more than 70 years having been recruited later, the hindsight is less important.
“What we know is that this vaccine has been little tested on the elderly, and therefore it is possible that the EMA will tell us that under these conditions, as we are not sure whether it is very effective in older people, “use it in younger people” ”, considers Olivier Véran.
If the authorization of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine were to be accompanied by a ban on the elderly, this would mark a turning point in the French vaccine strategy.
