WHO vaccine experts said on Wednesday the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine could be used for people over the age of 65, and also in settings where variants of the virus are circulating.

File photo: CFP

"Taking the totality of available evidence into account, WHO recommends the vaccine for use in persons aged 65 years and older," The 15-member Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) said in fresh recommendations.

It said the vaccine could also be used in places where "variants are present," despite a recent study suggesting it was far less effective against a strain of the virus first detected in South Africa.