Benzinga | Mar 2, 2021 12:26PM EST

European Officials Seek To Garner Support For AstraZeneca COVID-19 Shot: CNBC

* European officials are under pressure to reverse restrictions on who can receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Plc's (NYSE: AZN) coronavirus vaccine and attract support for the shot, CNBC reports.

* Yesterday, France recommended the AstraZeneca shot to anyone under 75 (up from a previous age limit of 65), including those with pre-existing health problems.

* Speaking to the BBC, Carsten Watzl, head of the German Society for Immunology, urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to take the vaccine live on TV to show it's safe.

* The European Medicines Agency approved the AZN-Oxford vaccine in January. Still, France and Germany's health regulators, among others in Europe, only approved the vaccine for the under-65s, saying there was not enough evidence to prove the vaccine's effectiveness in the higher age group.

* South Africa halted the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine after a small early data suggested that AZN's jab has limited protection against mild disease caused by the variant.

* Earlier today, Reuters reported that real-world data involving older age groups have shown that the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine effectively prevents COVID-19 infection, hospitalizations, and deaths.

* WHO listed two versions AZN-Oxford's vaccine for emergency use and said the vaccines are safe for those above 18 years old, including those over 65.

* Price Action: AZN shares are down 0.4% at $47.9 in market trading hours on the last check Tuesday.

* Image Courtesy: Wikimedia