European Officials Seek To Garner Support For AstraZeneca COVID-19 Shot: CNBC

European officials are under pressure to reverse restrictions on who can receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Plc’s (NYSE: AZN) coronavirus vaccine and attract support for the shot, CNBC reports.
Yesterday, France recommended the AstraZeneca shot to anyone under 75 (up from a previous age limit of 65), including those with pre-existing health problems.
Speaking to the BBC, Carsten Watzl, head of the German Society for Immunology, urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to take the vaccine live on TV to show it’s safe.
The European Medicines Agency approved the AZN-Oxford vaccine in January. Still, France and Germany’s health regulators, among others in Europe, only approved the vaccine for the under-65s, saying there was not enough evidence to prove the vaccine’s effectiveness in the higher age group.
South Africa halted the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine after a small early data suggested that AZN’s jab has limited protection against mild disease caused by the variant.
Earlier today, Reuters reported that real-world data involving older age groups have shown that the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine effectively prevents COVID-19 infection, hospitalizations, and deaths.
WHO listed two versions AZN-Oxford’s vaccine for emergency use and said the vaccines are safe for those above 18 years old, including those over 65.
Price Action: AZN shares are down 0.4% at $47.9 in market trading hours on the last check Tuesday.
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