Italy’s medicines agency approves AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

Italy’s AIFA has approved the use of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, a source from the medicines regulator said.

The vaccine, which received a green light by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday, is the third cleared for use in the European Union. The others approved for use in the EU are the vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech and one by Moderna.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

The Aifa source said the regulator recommended “the preferential use” of the vaccine in people between the ages of 18 and 55 years old.

EMA had said there were not yet enough results for people over the age of 55 to determine how well it worked in that group. But it said the vaccine could still be given to older people.

Read more:

Coronavirus: Italy reports 421 COVID-19 deaths, 12,715 new cases

Coronavirus: World Bank commits $12 billion for vaccinations in Africa

Coronavirus global death toll hits 2,206,873: AFP