Portugal, like several other European countries, has authorized the administration of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to people over 65, the Directorate General of Health announced on Wednesday.
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"
This decision is based on data unveiled in recent days which indicate that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in people over 65 years,
" said the health authority in a statement.
This vaccine can now be administered without reservation from the age of 18, whereas in Portugal it was hitherto reserved "
preferably
" for people aged 65 or under.
For the Ministry of Health, the goal is to have vaccinated 70% of the population in the summer.
Confined since mid-January, Portugal has meanwhile experienced a sharp drop in the number of new infections, after a record of nearly 16,500 new daily cases reached on January 28.
This country of 10 million inhabitants recorded 30 deaths on Tuesday and 847 new confirmed cases of contamination in 24 hours, according to the daily bulletin issued by the national health authority.
