The AstraZeneca vaccine will be used for people under 70 years old, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci has revealed. 

Prior to today, AstraZeneca was only being used on people aged between 18 and 55, after concerns that it would have been just 8% effective and could have grave effects on older people. These claims have been disproven.

This comes after German health officials u-turned on the vaccine and recommended it for use of over-65s. France has also backtracked on its decision.

Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses, which are being administered over three weeks, the two doses of AstraZeneca will be administered over a period of eight to ten weeks, which yields higher vaccine efficacy.

A new study suggests that dosing intervals of less than six weeks only yields a 54.9% efficacy while 12 weeks or more has an efficacy of 82.4%.

The new evidence has also been backed by a panel of experts at the World Health Organisation.

However, an issue with the AstraZeneca vaccine is its efficacy against COVID-19 variants, most notably the South African variant, which it has proven to be ineffective against.

South Africa has scrapped plans to distribute AstraZeneca’s vaccine following the trial data and instead “will be distributing to those countries who have already expressed interest in acquiring the stock,” according to South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

Malta currently three different producers of the vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. Many hope that the approval of a fourth Johnson and Johnson could speed up the inoculation process. 

Earlier today, Malta reached 3,252 active COVID-19 cases, which is a record for the country, after authorities recorded 283 new cases, 156 recoveries, and three more deaths after the last 24 hours. 

Yesterday, the government introduced a swathe of new mitigation measures, which included the closure of restaurants, kiosks, and snack bars as of tomorrow. 

Planned events in private houses will be limited to a maximum of four households, with a €100 fine for every person caught in breach of the law. 

Hospital visits, contact sport for children younger than 16 and mass organised events have also been banned, except for weddings and religious events.

The measures will apply till 11th April.

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