Why Germany is advising against giving AstraZeneca jab to over 65s

In a draft recommendation, Germany’s vaccine committee has advised the AstraZeneca COVID-19 jab should not be given to people aged over 65.

But chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, Dr Catherine Bennett, says it doesn’t mean the vaccine is dangerous.

“The safety data is there, it’s safe,” she told Neil Mitchell.

“They’re just not sure we’ve got enough cases yet reported in the trial to allow them to precisely determine what the effectiveness is in people in that age group.

“It takes time … to actually know what the vaccine does by way of protection.”

Dr Bennett says if Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration approves the AstraZeneca vaccine for use, Australians can be confident that it’s safe.

“They’re very thorough and I would completely trust their call,” she said.

“If they say the vaccine is safe to use and the efficacy makes it worth rolling out, I would definitely be queued up for whichever vaccine they say is best for me.”

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