AstraZeneca Reacts Strongly to 'Elderly Ineffectiveness' Claim: "100% Antibody Production"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] AstraZeneca, the manufacturer of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, has denied reports claiming that its vaccine is almost ineffective in the elderly.

According to major foreign media including AFP, AstraZeneca stated on the 25th (local time) that such reports are "completely wrong."

Some German media reported on the same day, citing sources, that the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine in those aged 65 and over is only 8%.

In response, AstraZeneca said, "According to data we published in The Lancet last November, the elderly showed a strong immune response following vaccination," adding, "After the second dose, antibody production in the elderly reached 100%." They also noted that the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has approved the vaccine for use in the elderly.

The 'ineffectiveness theory' of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the elderly emerged as European approval was pending. The COVID-19 vaccine, jointly developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for conditional marketing authorization, with results expected on the 29th.