AstraZeneca vaccination to be given to individuals over 55 years of age in Georgia

The delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccination will continue in Georgia as 'the circle of people over 55 is quite wide'. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

Agenda.ge, 08 Apr 2021 - 17:40, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian health officials have decided to continue vaccination with AstraZeneca only for individuals over 55 years of age following statements from the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organisation that say that unusual blood clots should be listed as a very rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19.

Today, the board of experts discussed and recommended continuing vaccination with AstraZeneca in the age group over 55, no further expansion will be made in terms of age group for AstraZeneca", Georgian deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia said.

She said that  the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccination will continue in Georgia as 'the circle of people over 55 is quite wide'.

AstraZeneca has quite good results in the elderly", Gabunia added.

In the UK alone, as of March 31 there had been 79 reports of rare blood clots with low platelets, some in the brain, it was revealed on Wednesday.

Of those affected, 19 people died, although it is not known if the blood clots were the cause in every case.

More were women (51 women) and they were all aged 18-79. Three were under 30. 

In older age groups, experts believe, the benefits of vaccination significantly outweigh the rare side-effect risk.