Germany approves AZ shot for people over 65 years

Germany’s independent vaccine committee has formally approved giving the AstraZeneca shot to people age 65 and over, the health minister said Thursday. The decision was “good news for older people who are waiting for a vaccination,” said the minister, Jens Spahn. “They will get vaccinated faster.” The vaccine made by British-Swedish company AstraZeneca is one of three authorised for use in the 27-nation European Union. But several countries, including Germany, initially restricted it to people under 65, or in some cases under 55, citing a lack of data on its effectiveness in older people. But the publication of data and pressure to speed up the EU’s slow vaccine rollout has prompted authorities across the bloc to revise their guidance. Restrictive rules and a rush of deliveries had meant Germany was sitting on a stockpile of more than 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine even as many who want it can’t get the shots.