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Oxford’s Covid vaccine is effective in all adults including over-65s, say WHO
THE Oxford/AstraZeneca jab is effective in all adults - including over-65s - the World Health Organisation announced today.
It comes after EU leaders repeatedly made baseless claims about its efficacy in the elderly population.
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French President Emmanuel Macron infamously said the jab “doesn’t work” on people over 65 - despite the jab being approved for use across all age groups by European regulators.
The WHO today backed the jab for use across all age groups along with Sage, and endorsed the UK’s strategy of delaying doses for up to twelve weeks - which had also been criticised.
The encouraging decision also follows the publication of a study which cast doubt on the jab's ability to fight against the South Africa Covid strain.
But the chair of Sage Dr Alejandro Cravioto said the WHO recommends the use of the vaccine in places where "variants are present".
The WHO found:
- Use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab is effective on all adults over 18
- Two doses four to 12 weeks apart is accepted but doses eight to 12 weeks apart is recommended
- The vaccine can be used in places where variants are present
- The majority of side effects are mild to moderate
- There is an efficacy of 63 per cent from 15 days after second jab
He said: "Based on the current evidence Sage recommends the vaccine should be administered in two doses with an interval of between four and 12 weeks for the second dose."
"Extending to eight and 12 weeks is a much better time frame for a better dose, so our recommendation is to use an interval of at least eight to 12 weeks.
"We recommend it for use 18 years and above with no upper age limit."
They found the immune response in older people was "almost the same" as in younger people, which led to their confidence in the jab for all ages.
Their report found the jab gives an overall efficacy of 63 per cent from 15 days after second jab.
And crucially, for people over-65 in the trials, it gave 52 per cent efficacy 15 days on from both doses.
'CONFIDENT'
Today Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the news, saying: "It was good to see the World Health Organisation confirm it's support for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for use in everyone over the age of 18, and obviously everyone over 65.
"And also supporting the 12 week interval between the two doses, indeed they say the longer interval provides greater protection."
Dr Kate O’Brien, director of Department of Immunisation, Vaccines and Biologicals, at the WHO, said: “Sage considered modelling data and that revealed that even when the hypothetical efficacy drops down as low as 10 per cent, it’s still the right thing to do - to immunise older adults with a low efficacy vaccine because of the high risk of severe disease and mortality in that age group.”
When asked what she would say to countries not using the AstraZeneca jab, she added: "There is no reason to contrition the AZ vaccine from general use."
Dr Cravioto said: "We have thousands of people dying from infection in many countries and I think anything we can do to use a product that might reduce that is totally justified."
Earlier this week South African research on about 2,000 people found the efficacy fell to 22 per cent against mild to moderate disease caused by the variant.
It led to a pause on the rollout of Oxford vaccines, over fears it may not work as well against the mutation, which the WHO today urged the country to reconsider.
But AstraZeneca said it believes its vaccine could protect against severe disease.
We recommend it for use 18 years and above with no upper age limit.
Dr Alejandro Cravioto
Following today's recommendation, Andrew Pollard, Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity, and Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said: "The new guidance from WHO is an important milestone in extending access to the Oxford-AZ vaccine to all corners of the world and providing further endorsement that after rigorous scrutiny by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts the vaccine can be used to help protect populations from the coronavirus pandemic."
Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology, and Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, added: "It is excellent news that the WHO has recommended use of the SARS CoV-2 vaccine first produced in Oxford.
"This decision paves the way to more widespread use of the vaccine to protect people against Covid-19 and gain control of the pandemic."
Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of Wellcome, said: “It is excellent news that the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization has recommended the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine for use in all adults including those over 65 years old.
"This is an important step forward and clears the way for emergency use listing, which will help ensure vaccines are used in all countries, including low- and middle-income countries, and will be hugely beneficial in our fight against the virus. "
The Bristol and Liverpool strains emerged last week and cases in both cities, as well as a cluster in Manchester, are being closely monitored by Public Health England.
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The Government's emergency virus group Nervtag, officially named the Bristol variant - with 14 cases there and four in Manchester - a "variant of concern".
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This variant has developed directly from the Kent strain and now includes a mutation called E484K, which allows the virus to evade vaccines more easily.
NERVTAG also branded a variant which caused 55 cases in Liverpool a "variant under investigation".
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Boris Johnson appeals to Brits to take up offer of a Covid vaccine as welcomes WHO verdict on Oxford AstraZeneca jab
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