Brazil health regulator says AstraZeneca vaccine safe for elderly patients

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said on Thursday that data on the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University so far shows that it is safe for elderly patients, after Germany recommended it be given only to those under 65.

Anvisa added in a statement, however, that it is not possible to determine the efficacy of the vaccine, called Covidshield, for a population over the age of 65 because the participation of elderly people in the studies conducted so far was not statistically relevant.