Canada changes tack, recommends use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in people over 65

FILE PHOTO: A senior receives the vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as Quebec begins vaccinations for seniors over 85 years old in a clinic in Laval, Quebec, Canada February 25, 2021. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo

OTTAWA (Reuters) – A panel of Canadian health experts on Tuesday said AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine could be used in people aged 65 years and older after initially recommending against the idea.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization said it was basing its new guidelines on three recent real-world studies that examined the effectiveness of the vaccine. (bit.ly/3thLc1Q)

The committee had said on March 1 that AstraZeneca doses should only be given to those aged from 18 to 64 because clinical trials had featured very few people 65 or older.

“There is now real-world evidence from the United Kingdom (which) who has been administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people 65 years of age and older. This evidence demonstrates that the vaccine is safe and effective in older adults,” the committee said in a statement.

Germany, France and Italy said on Monday they would suspend AstraZeneca COVID-19 shots after several countries reported possible serious side-effects. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian health experts felt it was safe.

Canada has recorded a total of 22,495 deaths from the coronavirus and 913,047 cases. Health officials in Ontario, the most populous of the 10 provinces, say they are seeing clear signs of a third wave.

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