Vaccines: AstraZeneca jab for over 60s in Spain

THE Spanish government has announced the controversial AstraZeneca jab will only be administered to people aged over 60.

European health regulators announced on Wednesday there was ‘clear scientific” evidence the shot was “safe and effective” and benefits outweighed risks of rare side effects.

However, the European Medicines Agency also said that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as a very rare side effect” of the vaccine.

The EMA did not make any recommendation regarding age restrictions but said most adverse reactions of the thrombosis were in women aged under 60 and encouraged the continued use of the shot.

Spain’s health minister Carolina Darias said along with other EU countries taking similar measures: “We will continue to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine, but from the age of 60.”

The minister said the government would now consider how to react to people already given one dose of AstraZeneca as the jab needs to be repeated to be fully effective.

To date about 2.1 million Spanish patients have received the vaccine but just 97 have been given the second shot. Darias said scientists would look at the possibility of using another vaccine for a second jab or leaving people with just one dose which does protect against coronavirus.

Written by BayRadio