An independent advisory panel has concluded that the South Korean government should approve AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, on the condition that the results of ongoing clinical trials of the vaccine in the U.S. are submitted.

The committee, however, recommended on Friday that a panel of vaccination experts further deliberate on administering the vaccine to seniors aged 65 or older.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the advisory panel said the vaccine should be administered to people over the age of 18, the same as Europe, but called for discretion with seniors, citing a lack of study on effectiveness.

The panel assessed that abnormalities in the clinical stage are within the permitted range, but advised continued monitoring of abnormalities involving the nervous system, including transverse myelitis, even after approval.

Pregnant women were advised not to be immunized and breastfeeding mothers should be informed that it remains unclear whether the vaccine is secreted into breast milk.

There has been growing concern over the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine for the elderly, as there is not enough data to back its efficacy in older people.

The vaccine's approval will be finalized in a three-phase review by three separate panels of experts, with a final review now pending.