Thread by @NaomiOhReally

EMA head Emer Cooke responds to questions about AstraZeneca's trial data, and the fact that there were a relatively small % of older people in the trial:
"The studies that were done that have been included in the file so far have a very small quantity of elderly populations..."

"This is what is being discussed in the media atm
Our scientific committee is looking at the totality of the data to see what that data means in terms of the populations that were studied and what could reasonably be expected in populations that maybe have not been studied yet."

"This is a normal process in relation to any vaccines. We have to look at the data that’s there, look at the science behind it, and what we can expect that data to mean."

"I’m not going to prejudge any decision because this is a scientific and expert decision that is ongoing. But it is possible to conclude an authorisation that would focus on a particular age group, or it’s possible to conclude for a wider age group," Cooke said.

⬆️ Since AstraZeneca's application for approval in the EU on January 12, the question has been floated: will EMA approve it for older age groups given the trial data available?
Very important question for national vaccine rollout plans.

Initial in vitro studies of the already-approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines suggest they are effective "at least against the UK variant", Emer Cooke says.
"The South African variant is more complicated" and further study is needed on whether vaccines work against it, she says.

More mutations are expected, and the EMA is currently figuring out what the regulatory approval process would be for updates/tweaks to vaccines to make them effective against new variants, Cooke says.