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Britain to offer under-40s alternative to AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine
- Officials said the advice reflected low levels of infection in the UK and the availability of other vaccines
- Britain previously advised people under 30 to seek an alternative shot
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British officials said on Friday people under 40 should be offered an alternative to Oxford/AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine where possible due to a small risk of blood clots, given the low number of cases and the availability of other shots.
AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 shot, developed by Oxford University, has resulted in reports of rare blood clots with low platelet levels that occur more commonly in younger adults. Some countries have advised the jab be given only to older people.
Officials emphasised the benign domestic conditions that provided the context for the decision, on the same day that Germany went the other direction and made the shot available to all adults who might want it.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the advice reflected low levels of Covid-19 infection in the UK and the availability of other vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.
Officials said that Britain would still offer a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to all adults by the end of July.
“As Covid-19 rates continue to come under control, we are advising that adults aged 18–39 years with no underlying health conditions are offered an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, if available and if it does not cause delays in having the vaccine,” said Wei Shen Lim, Covid-19 Chair for JCVI.
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