People over 60 will be getting their COVID-19 vaccine sooner than expected after the health authorities approved the use of the AstraZeneca jab up to the age of 70.

The decision raised eyebrows, with those in the 70 to 80 age group questioning whether younger people will be getting the vaccine before them. Similar questions were raised by the vulnerable. 

What has changed?

The change affects people aged 60 to 74 and will have no impact on groups that are already being vaccinated. 

People aged 75 to 80 will still be receiving vaccination letters as of Monday, as previously announced. Those aged 80 or over and people with chronic illnesses, will continue to be vaccinated. 

These groups will receive a vaccine made by Moderna or Pfizer.

People working in the education sector and workers deemed essential will also continue to be vaccinated.  They will receive a vaccine made by AstraZeneca. 

But because the AstraZeneca vaccine has now been approved for use in people aged up to 70, those over 60 (but under 70) can also now be called for their vaccine shots. 

What about those between aged 70 to 75?

That leaves people aged 70 to 75 – and therefore just over the AstraZeneca age limit – wondering when they will be vaccinated. 

For now, since they cannot get the AstraZeneca vaccine and the authorities are still in the process of inoculating those over 75, people in this group will have to wait a while longer. 

That may be because there are not enough Moderna and Pfizer vaccine doses available for them at this stage. 

While Health Minister Chris Fearne has said that Malta has orders for 270,000 Moderna vaccine doses, 650,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, authorities have not said how many doses are currently available, or how many doses have been shipped to the island so far

'I am 72 and my wife is 66, will she get the jab before me?' 

This could very much be the case for now. Similarly, a vulnerable person might have to wait a bit longer and people in their 60s could get vaccinated before them. 

According to the authorities, there are thousands of people deemed vulnerable, with Gauci repeatedly saying that given the size of this group, it takes time to inoculate every person. 

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