French health authorities said Friday that people under 55 who received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine should receive a different vaccine for their second dose, due to an extremely rare risk of clot formation.
Germany is expected to recommend a similar strategy for people under the age of 60.
However, the World Health Organization said it is too early to know whether such a vaccine mixture should be recommended and the European Medicines Agency has not recommended putting age restrictions on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The French authorities said the British-Swedish company’s vaccine remains key to their vaccination plan and called on the elderly to continue receiving it as the country’s hospitals contend with a new increase in patients with COVID-19.
“It’s an effective vaccine,” Dominique Le Guludec, president of the French health authority, told reporters. “If we want to win the fight against the virus, we have to use all available weapons.”
Several European countries have decided in recent weeks to mimic the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in older people, as there is growing evidence that the vaccine may be linked to rare blood clots in younger populations.
Since March 19, France has only been offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 55 years old.
More than half of the French population under that age – including Health Minister Olivier Verán – received the first dose of the vaccine for it.
France’s highest health authority said Friday it will maintain the age limit for now and advised younger people who received the first dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine to use a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.
“It’s a precaution,” Veran told RTL radio station.