Canadian regulators have approved AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for all adults
The third COVID-19 vaccine received by Canada is the green light, following those from Pfizer and Moderna.
“This is encouraging news. It means more people will be vaccinated, and faster, “said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, adding that the country ‘s 38 million people will receive a total of 6.5 million vaccines by the end of March, 500,000 more now with the new agreement.
Health Canada has approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in people 18 and older, expressing confidence that it would work for the elderly although some countries, including France, have authorized it. -only for use in people under 65, says there is not enough evidence that it works in older adults.
With tests showing around 62% effectiveness, the vaccine appears to offer less protection than those already authorized, but experts have said that any vaccine with a higher level of efficacy may has helped 50% to stop the revolution
“It’s a great option,” said Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada’s chief medical consultant.
Sharma said no one has died or become seriously ill in trials of the vaccines now approved by Canada or in those at Johnson & Johnson and Novavax shots, which could be approved. soon.
Health authorities in Germany and other countries have raised concerns that AstraZeneca has not tested the vaccine in enough elderly people to prove it works for them, and said they would not recommend it for people older than 65. Belgium has authorized it only for people 55 and under
Health Canada said its decision was based on analyzes collected from four follow-up clinical trial trials as well as data in countries where it was agreed.
“Given the completeness of the information, the benefit profile of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine is positive for the recommended symptom in adults 18 years of age or older,” Health Canada said in information posted online.
“We are beginning to take evidence from the world. There is evidence that it would be effective in the older age group, ”said Sharma.
Canada has now ordered 22 million doses of the AstraZeneca image, which was co-developed by researchers at Oxford University. He will also receive up to 1.9 million doses during the global campaign for a vaccine called COVAX by the end of June.
Trudeau said 2 million of these doses come from the Serum Institute of India, which Sharma said uses the same recipe but a slightly different method and was also agreed.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has already been approved in more than 50 countries. It is cheaper and easier to handle than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires cold storage that is not widespread in many developing countries. Both vaccines require two pictures for each person, given weeks apart.
Canada and many European countries have struggled with human immunization as quickly as Britain, Israel, the USA and elsewhere
There is no domestic production in Canada and the Trudeau government has been accused of not getting vaccines fast enough although they have also been criticized for prescribing enough doses for their population 10 times over.
The AstraZeneca vaccine makes up the majority of COVAX stockpiles and concerns were recently raised following an early study suggesting that it may not prevent moderate to severe infection caused by the a variety that was first seen in South Africa. Last week, South Africa stopped distributing the AstraZeneca vaccine, opting instead to use an unlicensed bullet from Johnson & Johnson for the healthcare workers.