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Woman vaccinating (symbolic image)
Photo: Ennio Leanza / dpa
The corona vaccine from the British-Swedish manufacturer AstraZeneca can now also be used in the European Union.
The EU Commission granted approval, as Commission head Ursula von der Leyen announced on Twitter.
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides also confirmed approval on Friday evening.
The Brussels authority followed a recommendation from the EU Medicines Agency Ema.
This applies to people over 18 years of age with no age limit.
In Germany, however, the Standing Vaccination Commission recommends that they only be given to adults under 65.
It is the third vaccine against Covid-19 approved in the EU.
In Great Britain, the preparation, which AstraZeneca developed together with Oxford University, has been in widespread use since the beginning of January.
So far, only vaccines from the manufacturers Pfizer / Biontech and Moderna have been approved in the EU.
The vaccine from AstraZeneca is considered to be particularly inexpensive and handy for mass vaccinations, because it does not have to be cooled as much.
Unlike the Standing Vaccination Commission in Germany, the Ema experts decided against an age limit.
Even if there were only comparatively few test persons over 55 years of age, this is justifiable.
The Ema justified this decision with the good test results in the other age groups as well as experience with other vaccines.
Delivery problems unresolved
A conditional marketing authorization was granted.
This means that the manufacturer must continue to provide data to Ema while the vaccine is already in use.
Biontech / Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have the same status.
The delivery problems at AstraZeneca remain unsolved.
A week ago, the group surprisingly announced to the EU that it would deliver far fewer than planned in the first quarter: instead of 80 million cans, only 31 million.
Since then, the EU has tried to persuade the company to at least partially withdraw the cut.
The EU has ordered a total of 400 million vaccine doses.
"I expect the company to deliver the 400 million cans as agreed," wrote von der Leyen on Twitter.
"We will all continue to do what we can to secure vaccines for Europeans, for our neighbors and partners around the world."
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