MFDS Holds Closed Meeting Today to Review AstraZeneca Vaccine... Results Announced on the 1st

EU Officially Approves Vaccine… MFDS to Carefully Assess Suitability for Seniors Aged 65 and Over

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety held a meeting of the 'COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Efficacy Verification Advisory Group,' which includes external experts related to AstraZeneca's vaccine, on the 31st and will announce the results tomorrow.

On this day, a Ministry of Food and Drug Safety official stated, "Today's meeting is the first of the three-tier advisory meetings on COVID-19 vaccines (Safety and Efficacy Verification Advisory Group → Central Pharmaceutical Review Committee → Final Inspection Committee)," adding, "Verification of the AstraZeneca vaccine is planned, and the meeting results will be announced on the afternoon of the 1st."

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended conditional marketing authorization for the AstraZeneca vaccine for all age groups 18 and older on the 29th (local time), and on the same day, the European Union (EU) Commission made a decision to grant conditional marketing authorization.

However, some argue that most participants in the AstraZeneca vaccine clinical trials were aged 18 to 55, and there is insufficient clinical data for the elderly. The Standing Committee on Vaccination under the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's equivalent of the Disease Control Agency, stated, "Sufficient clinical trials have not been conducted for those aged 65 and older for the AstraZeneca vaccine," and recommended vaccination for those aged 18 to 64.

With the government planning to introduce the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically next month and start vaccinating the elderly, controversy is arising over its effectiveness.

A Ministry of Food and Drug Safety official said, "No decision or direction has been made yet regarding vaccination for those aged 65 and older," adding, "However, since the EMA has already recommended conditional marketing authorization, we plan to carefully examine the appropriateness of vaccination for the elderly through today's meeting."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.