FILE – In this Monday, March 22, 2021 file photo medical staff prepares an AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine during preparations at the vaccine center in Ebersberg near Munich, Germany. The European Commission says it has launched legal action against vaccine maker AstraZeneca for failing to respect the terms of its contract with the EU. A Commission spokesman said Monday, April 26, 2021 that the reason for the legal action was that “some terms of the contract have not been respected” and that “the company has not been in a position to come up with a reliable strategy to ensure a timely delivery of doses.” The AstraZeneca vaccine has been central to Europe’s immunization campaign, but the slow pace of deliveries has frustrated the Europeans. AstraZeneca has previously said that its contract with the EU contained vaccine delivery targets, not firm commitments.
FILE – In this file photo dated Thursday, March 18, 2021, a pharmacy technician draws a does of the AstraZeneca vaccine ready for use at the Wheatfield surgery in Luton, England. People under 40 in Britain will not be given the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine if another shot is available because of a link to extremely rare blood clots, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization said Friday May 7, 2021.
FILE – In this Sunday, March 21, 2021 file photo a vial and syringes of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh temple, in Luton, England. People under 40 in Britain will not be given the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine if another shot is available because of a link to extremely rare blood clots, it was announced Friday, May 7. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization said people under 40 without underlying health conditions should receive an alternative vaccine if its does not cause substantial delays in being vaccinated.
LONDON (AP) — People under 40 in Britain will not be given the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine if another shot is available because of a link to extremely rare blood clots, the government said Friday. It said the change would not affect the goal of giving all U.K. adults at least one vaccine dose by July.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization said people aged 30 to 39 without underlying health conditions should receive an alternative vaccine, “where available and only if this does not cause substantial delays in being vaccinated.” Last month it gave the same advice for people under 30.
”Any vaccine offered early is preferable to a vaccine offered too late,” said Wei Shen Lim, who chairs the JCVI, an expert body that advises the government.
England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, said the government expects to be able to follow the new advice and still meet its target of giving everyone over 18 a vaccine jab by July 31.
“We have to maintain the pace and scale of the U.K. vaccination program,” Van-Tam said, adding that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective and “thousands are alive today” because they received it.
Britain has recorded more than 127,500 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe. But recent infections and deaths have plummeted thanks to extensive lockdowns and a rapid vaccination program. Two-thirds of U.K. adults have received at least vaccine jab and almost a third have had both doses.
Originally Appeared On: https://wacotrib.com/business/uk-to-offer-under-40s-alternative-to-astrazeneca-shot/article_5fe9efd9-2289-556c-9c9e-2affbf55e1f3.html