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Belgian regulators advise against giving AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to over-55s

Advisory body suggests Oxford jab should be given only to younger people for time being

By Daniel Boffey | 3 February 2021

THE GUARDIAN — Regulators in Belgium are the the latest in Europe to advise against the administration of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to older people due a lack of data about its efficacy.

Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s health minister, said the country’s superior health council, an advisory body, had suggested the jab should be administered to people younger than 55 for the time being.

Vandenbroucke said Belgium was reviewing its vaccination strategy. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine had been a key part of the government’s plan to prioritise vulnerable groups in the early months of this year.

Vandenbroucke said: “The superior health council says very clearly that the AstraZeneca vaccine is a very good vaccine for people between 18 and 55 years old.

“But it is also said we don’t have enough data today to say with certainty that it works so well in older people. If you are not sure, then the advice is to start using the vaccine in people under 55. […]

2 Comments on Belgian regulators advise against giving AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to over-55s

  1. It should be noted that the ‘over-55s’ is the normal target group for the flu vaccine (flu is also allegedly caused by viruses, but from a different taxonomical family: Orthomyxoviridae) — people should at least ask themselves why the flu vaccine is normally recommended for ‘over-55s’, but the COVID vaccine isn’t (at least in Belgium).

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