The government announced on the 8th that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be supplied as the first vaccine for a new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) in Korea in the last week of this month. As the supply timing has been confirmed, controversy over the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for the elderly must also be hurried to end. Many experts contend that the need to limit vaccinations for the elderly is low in situations where there are no major safety issues and options are not available.
Corona 19 vaccine jointly developed by AstraZeneca with Oxford University in the UK. Courtesy of AstraZeneca
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Final decision by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 10th
– In relation to the AstraZeneca vaccine introduction schedule, Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a briefing on the 8th, “The supply schedule of 1.5 million doses (for 750,000 people) has been confirmed in the last week of this month, and distribution and delivery are being prepared.”
Excluding the 60,000 Pfizer vaccine introduced through Cobax Facility, it is the first vaccine to be used for large-scale vaccination to the elderly and medical staff in nursing hospitals.
As the timing of the introduction of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been confirmed, the government’s policy on vaccination for the elderly should be quickly settled. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to hold a final inspection committee, the final verification procedure, on the 10th and approve the use of AstraZeneca vaccine. However, regarding vaccination for the elderly, it is expected that a specific policy will be set by the Vaccination Specialist Committee under the Agency for Disease Control and Prevention after passing the judgment to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although there are some statistically inadequate aspects, many experts say that the vaccination can be sufficiently administered to the elderly as there is no significant safety problem.
“Not ineffective, but lack of data”
– In a call with JoongAng Ilbo, Chairman Yu-hwan of the Central Pharmacy Review Committee said, “There is no data that there is no effect, and there is not enough data to prove that it is effective.” “The most important thing is safety, but at least no major safety-related problems were found. I said. Regarding vaccination for the elderly, Chairman Oh explained that there is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness, not that it is ineffective or low.
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Chairman of the Central Pharmacist Review Committee Yu-hwan is announcing the results of the Central Pharmacy Review Committee’s advisory meeting for AstraZeneca’s novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine held at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Cheongju, Chungbuk on the morning of the 5th. yunhap news
– Chairman Oh also said, “It is said that the effect of antibody formation is low, but it is natural for the elderly to be low.” “It was the judgment of the Central Pharmacopoeia that the elderly could not be left unprotected in the blind spot because clinical data were not available. He added that the social risks (risk) can be high when vaccinations over the age of 65 are excluded.”
Other experts agree with this opinion. Kim Mo-ran, a professor of preventive medicine at the Graduate School of National Cancer Center (member of the Vaccination Specialist Committee), said, “The efficacy is not low, it is not known.” “If there was no significant difference by age in the immunogenicity measurement, it would be true that there would be no difference in efficacy. As the Vaccine Subcommittee has not made much of an issue with vaccination for the elderly, it is highly likely that the Vaccination Committee will conclude that vaccination to the elderly will not matter.” Professor Ki said, “In terms of safety, anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) was rather less than that of Pfizer. It means that it can be better for the elderly.”
Professor Nam Jae-hwan of the Department of Medical Life Science at the Catholic University said in a briefing by the Korea National Disease Service Agency on the 8th, “Vaccines should consider all three things: excellence, economy and accessibility. Which of the vaccines introduced in Korea is good or bad, and it is difficult to accurately judge.” “You can get any vaccine with confidence. My mother is in her 80s, and if she would get the AstraZeneca vaccine, I would definitely recommend that she do it. It is a wise and advantageous way to get any vaccine when the turn is back.” Regarding the controversy that the South African mutant virus is less effective, Professor Nam added, “Because the South African mutant in Korea is not very prevalent, it is a wise strategy to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
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Vaccine security rate in major countries (Vaccine relative to the total population) Graphic = Reporter Kim Joo-won [email protected]
– Experts say that if the results of a phase 3 clinical trial in the United States come out in the future, the efficacy controversy will naturally be subsided. Prof. Mo-ran Kim said, “I think the US clinical results will be available by the time we start vaccination,” he said. “Since more than 20% of the elderly are included in the US clinical trials, the results will be certain.”
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Prior to the’AstraZeneca’s Corona 19 Vaccine Central Pharmacy Deliberation Committee’ held at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Osong-eup, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk on the 4th, experts and deliberation members are preparing a meeting. News 1
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The realistic reason for no choice
– In reality, it cannot be ignored that alternatives are not appropriate. AstraZeneca vaccine is the only vaccine to be introduced in large quantities for the first time in Korea, except for the Pfizer vaccine that comes through Cobax Facility. Pfizer’s vaccine, which was initially expected to be available through COVAX, may be supplied beyond the end of this month. Commissioner Eun-kyung Chung also said at a briefing on the 8th, “There is room for adjustment of the supply schedule according to administrative procedures. There are procedures that are difficult to control.”
Professor Kimo-ran said, “Some countries in Europe are restricting their use, but because there are other options, we will wait for evidence to come out. We are in a different situation because AstraZeneca comes in first.” Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital Infectious Internal Medicine Professor Jeong-Hyun Choi (member of the Vaccination Committee) also said, “If it is not controversy about the side effects, there is no option (option) in the situation where there is no alternative vaccine.”
Professor Lee Jae-gap of Hallym University’s Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital also said on his Facebook last month that “the urgency cannot exceed safety and effectiveness, but the urgency cannot be ignored.”
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British medical staff are showing the AstraZeneca vaccine. EPA=Yonhap News
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“Vaccine trust is important, we need to expand the target in the future”
– Of course, there are still opinions that as much as social trust is important, we should be careful. It is said that once the target is under 65 years old, the target can be vaccinated, and if the data is accumulated in the future, the target can be expanded to the elderly people.
Jeon Byung-yul, a professor at the Graduate School of Medicine at Cha Medical Science University (former head of the Centers for Disease Control), said, “Even if the AstraZeneca vaccine is secured and vaccination is started for nursing hospital residents, it is primarily targeted at those under the age of 65, and the amount remaining is for other high risk groups 1 “As we saw in the influenza (flu) outbreak, there may be denial of vaccination even if experts say it is okay, and related fake news may circulate. As it is a long-term war, it is important to adhere to the principles and receive trust from the people.” Ma Sang-hyuk, vice president of the Korean Society of Vaccination (Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents, Fatima Hospital, Changwon), said, “It seems better to use AstraZeneca vaccine first for vaccination by medical staff, and for the elderly to vaccination with Pfizer or Modena.” There is no” he said. The president of the Korean Medical Association, Choi, also insisted that the elderly should receive Pfizer and Moderna vaccine instead of AstraZeneca.
In a briefing on the 8th, Chung Eun-kyung said, “It is not that it is not effective for people over 65 years old, but that it is recommended to make a careful decision because there are insufficient data to judge the effect.” “I will decide the vaccination plan through deliberation by the vaccination expert committee.”
Reporter Hwang Soo-yeon [email protected]
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