Germany Advises Against Oxford Jab For Over 65s

Germany Advises Against Oxford Jab For Over 65s

File Photo EWN

GERMANY advises against the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab for over 65s

Experts at the Standing Vaccine Commission at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) have issued a statement to clear up the media frenzy caused by “incorrect” information published in certain German newspapers claiming that the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine is only 8 per cent effective. German health authorities have now confirmed that they do not advise those over the age of 65 to receive this particular vaccine, as they claim there is “insufficient data currently available to ascertain how effective the vaccination is above 65 years.”

German news outlets Handelsblatt and Bild were slammed earlier in the week by the vaccine company and German officials for stating that a government source had claimed the AstraZeneca jab was only 8 per cent effective in the older age bracket. The vaccine company strenuously denied these allegations and said they are “completely incorrect”. The company explained that because they started trials on over 65s later than the rest of the population, the same amount of data isn’t readily available, and so the percentages can appear skewed.

In an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica, CEO Pascal Soriot said:

“But we have strong data showing very strong antibody production against the virus in the elderly, similar to what we see in younger people.”

The issue, however, has added fuel to the fire of an already turbulent relationship between the EU and the vaccine makers over unexplained shortages in production. Following a meeting with AstraZeneca on Wednesday, January 27, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said: “We regret the continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule and ask AstraZeneca to provide a clear plan for the quick delivery of the amount of vaccines we have reserved for Q1.”

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Sarah Keane

Former teacher and health services manager with a Degree in English, Sarah moved to Spain from Southern Ireland with her husband, who runs his own car rental business, in 2019. She is now enjoying a completely different pace and quality of life on the Costa Blanca South, with wonderful Spanish and expat friends in Cabo Roig. Sarah began working with Euro Weekly News in 2020 and loves nothing more than bringing all the latest national and international news to her local community.

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