Germany to offer alternative 2nd dose to under 60s who had AstraZeneca
Berlin Apr 14 (EFE).- Some 2.2 million people under 60 who have received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Germany will be offered either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna shots to complete their course, authorities said Wednesday.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn and top health officials in Germany’s 16 states unanimously took the decision to halt the rollout of AstraZeneca in people aged under 60 due to its possible links to rare blood clots, predominantly in younger people, according to early analysis.
The decision came in line with a recommendation from the country’s vaccine commission (Sitko) earlier this month.
Like many European Union nations, Germany halted its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine when reports of a possible link to rare blood clots emerged.
It continued its program following a review by the European Medicines Agency, but limited it to use on older age groups.
The change in the rollout left many in EU countries who had already had one dose of AstraZeneca in limbo.
The World Health Organization has not recommended that doses of different Covid-19 vaccines could be mixed, stating their was a lack of evidence on its effectiveness against the disease.EFE
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