Health proposes to extend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine up to 65 years of age

The AstraZeneca vaccine re-enters the vaccination campaign and, predictably, with more room for maneuver than before.

After several days paralyzed by the suspicion of thrombi associated with the administration of the drug, the Ministry of Health has endorsed the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) —although the link between the drug and clots cannot be ruled out, " the benefits outweigh the risks ”- and will resume vaccination with this drug next Wednesday.

In addition, the Public Health Commission, where the ministry and regional public health officials are represented, has proposed expanding the use of the coronavirus vaccine to age 65 (until now the age limit was 55), according to Two health sources present at the meeting have confirmed.

The measure will have to be approved this Monday by the Interterritorial Council.

• The EMA assures that the AstraZeneca vaccine is "effective and safe", but does not rule out isolated risks

• Spain postpones decision to administer AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 55 years of age

The age of vaccination with AstraZeneca has always been a matter of debate between experts and health authorities.

Although the EMA gave the green light to its administration from the age of 18, in the clinical trials available at the time there were not enough people over 55 years of age to verify its effectiveness among them.

So, at first, the Interterritorial Health Council appealed to the principle of prudence and agreed to administer it to those under 55 years of age.

So far, 981,123 have been injected, the vast majority to essential personnel.

However, several communities, such as Catalonia or Madrid, had been demanding for weeks to extend the vaccination age with that of AstraZeneca, and the Public Health Commission agreed to meet to reassess it.

But the meeting was held the same week that the EMA began investigating thrombus cases and the Commission decided to postpone the decision until suspicions about the drug were resolved.

With the EMA's decision in hand, the Vaccine Report, the group of experts that advises the Government of Pedro Sánchez on the immunization plan, met on Friday and, after a three-hour meeting, raised its proposal to the Public Health Commission, which this Monday has also given its approval.

The last word, however, will be the Interterritorial Health Council this afternoon.

Eight European countries (Italy, Greece, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Portugal) have already eliminated the age limit for applying the drug.

Among the experts consulted there is no room for doubt, neither about the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine nor about the decision to withdraw the age limit or, in any case, extend it to expedite the vaccination of the most vulnerable.

“You have to accept the EMA's decision and say that the vaccine is safe.

And there is no criterion that justifies not putting it to people over 55 years old, ”says Daniel López-Acuña, former Director of Emergencies at the World Health Organization.

A study with about 32,500 participants from the United States, Peru and Chile has concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine is 79% effective in preventing symptomatic disease and 100% in preventing serious disease, the pharmacist reported.

In those older than 65 years - they were 20% of the participants - the vaccine is 80% effective.

More speed

A study by the Scottish Public Health Agency also concluded, after analyzing data from 1.1 million vaccinated people, half with Pfizer and the other half with AstraZeneca, that the protection is similar, although this research still it has not been published in any scientific or peer-reviewed journal.

Experts insist, however, that the priority is to vaccinate as soon as possible, especially when the threat of a fourth wave looms in the coming weeks.

“I am in favor of expanding the age band to all ages.

That would allow us to go faster by vaccinating the vulnerable, ”insists López-Acuña.

Experts admit that government swings with the AstraZeneca vaccine - the EMA has always recommended continuing to administer it - will undermine part of the public's confidence in these drugs.

In fact, a survey by YouGov, a data analysis firm, of 1,050 Spaniards between March 17 and 18 reveals that 56% of those consulted consider the AstraZeneca vaccine “unsafe”.

This percentage was only 25% in a similar survey conducted in February.

“We will have to do a lot of pedagogy so that the confidence of the people returns.

It will cost us that the people who have been administered the first dose, take the second, "says Magda Campins, head of Preventive Medicine at Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona.