The German Vaccine Commission said AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine should not be used in people aged 65 and over due to “insufficient data” on its effectiveness.
The Standing Vaccine Commission said the shot, which is being developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford, should only be used on people 18 to 64 years old “based on available data.”
“There is currently insufficient data to assess the vaccine’s efficacy for individuals 65 and older,” said the panel of scientific experts.
The recommendation follows confusion earlier this week about the effectiveness of AstraZeneca’s injection in adults over the age of 65.
Two German newspapers, citing government sources, said the shot was found to be only 8 percent effective in seniors – which the UK-based company said was “completely false,” German broadcaster Deutsch Welle reported on Tuesday.
“In November, we published data in The Lancet showing that older adults showed a strong immune response to the vaccine, with 100% of older adults generating spike-specific antibodies after the second dose,” said AstraZeneca’s spokesperson.
The startling statistic was also refuted by the German Ministry of Health, which suggested the leaks mixed up the 8 percent figure.
“On the face of it, two things seem to be confused in the reports: about 8% of subjects in the AstraZeneca efficacy trial were between 56 and 69 years old, and only 3 to 4% were over 70 years old,” A spokesman said.
“However, this does not indicate an efficacy of only 8% in the elderly.”
The European Medicines Agency is expected to decide on Friday whether to approve the AstraZeneca vaccine.
With pole wires