Coronavirus latest news: Germany U-turns on AstraZeneca vaccine for over-65s

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Global Health Security Team
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Mrs Merkel said recent studies had now provided enough evidence to approve it for all ages. - Shutterstock 
Mrs Merkel said recent studies had now provided enough evidence to approve it for all ages. - Shutterstock

Germany will authorise the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for people over the age of 65, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

The country had previously approved it for under-65s only, citing insufficient data of its effects on older people.

Now, in a significant U-turn, Mrs Merkel said recent studies had now provided enough evidence to approve it for all ages.

She added: "The (German) vaccine commission, whose recommendations we are happy to follow, will authorise AstraZeneca for older age groups."

The change will see Germany follow the UK’s example and space out the first and second jabs of the vaccine by a maximum of 12 weeks, in order to quickly give more people initial protection against the virus.

The German government had been criticised in recent weeks for its comments about the jab, leading to a public perception that the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine was less effective than those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

It even led to some of the Germans first in line for a Covid-19 vaccine spurning AstraZeneca shots, leaving the country with hundreds of thousands of unopened doses.

Belgium, who had a similar stance, has now also authorised its rollout to people over 65s.

It comes after the French government said older people with pre-existing conditions can now get AstraZeneca vaccine, revising its stance on the issue.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

07:21 AM

Oxford Street retailers 'looking forward' to reopening

Businesses frozen in time with festive storefronts still on display in spring are looking forward to reopening and giving shoppers "a much-needed post-lockdown mood lift".

Retailers in some of London's major shopping areas including Oxford Street and Regent Street bear the markings of Christmas past, with festive decor and messaging remaining on view.

With the introduction of a new Tier 4 level of restrictions on December 20, all non-essential shops in London had to shut.

According to Boris Johnson's road map out of lockdown, non-essential shops in England will be able to reopen from April 12 at the earliest.

A spokeswoman for the New West End Company, which represents businesses on Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street and Mayfair, said retailers are looking forward to the year ahead and a festive shopping season "where their decorations and displays won't go to waste".

She said: "The West End's frozen window displays are a symptom of the stop-start lockdowns, and sunk costs that will take a long time to recover from.

"With six weeks to go and new support measures announced this week by the Chancellor, central London businesses can start to plan ahead with more confidence as they look toward the irreversible reopening of stores, reviving their displays and giving their customers a much-needed post-lockdown mood lift.

"We hope that in a matter of months retailers can once again look forward to a profitable Christmas where their decorations and displays won't go to waste."

06:51 AM

New car sales drop by a third

Demand for new cars fell by 36 per cent last month compared to February 2020 as showrooms remained shut due to the pandemic, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

Only around 51,000 new cars were registered in the UK.

February is traditionally a slow month for car sales as many motorists wait for new number plates to be released in March.

But last month was the industry's worst February since 1959.

Rachael Prasher, managing director of automotive magazine and website What Car?, said: "Online retail and new digital platforms have proven an effective solution to meet the most urgent demand, but the February results once again show the pressing need to safely reopen showrooms.

"With dealers having to keep doors closed through the March plate change - when a fifth of all annual registrations are traditionally completed - all the signs are pointing towards a need for retailers to be ready to satisfy pent-up demand that is building around the mooted April 12 reopening date."

06:11 AM

Vaccines tweaked for variants to be fast-tracked

Coronavirus vaccines tweaked to deal with variants will be fast-tracked without compromising on safety or effectiveness, the UK's regulator has said.

The approach will be similar to the regulatory process for the modified flu vaccine, to deal with new strains each year, with a brand new approval not required.

Scientists have previously said a Covid-19 variant resistant to the current crop of vaccines is likely to emerge at some point, but vaccines can also be adapted quickly.

The guidance states coronavirus vaccine manufacturers will need to provide robust evidence that the modified jab produces an immune response. However, lengthy clinical studies deemed not to add to the regulatory understanding of their safety, quality or effectiveness will not be needed.

05:50 AM

Care for children with cancer hit globally - worse in poorer countries

Care for children with cancer was hit by Covid-19 at more than three-quarters of hospitals around the world, and particularly badly in poorer countries, according to a new study.

The impact on care meant that almost half of the hospitals made fewer new cancer diagnoses than expected, while a third saw a rise in treatments either being delayed by a month or more or not starting at all, according to the first global study of the pandemic’s impact on the sector published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Paediatric cancer units closed completely in seven per cent of the 200 hospitals surveyed, or 15 hospitals. Thirteen of them were in lower and middle income countries, or 87 per cent, and on average they were closed for 10 days.

Read the full story

05:06 AM

Efficacy data for India's own vaccine could boost public acceptance

Indian doctors and politicians on Thursday welcomed efficacy data for a state-backed coronavirus vaccine that was given emergency approval in January without the completion of a late-stage trial, making people reluctant to receive the shot.

Government data shows that only 10 per cent of about 12.6 million people immunised in India have taken the COVAXIN shot, which was found to be 81 per cent effective in an interim analysis of the late-stage trial, its developer Bharat Biotech said on Wednesday.

Any boost to the vaccine's acceptance in India, which on Thursday reported a new cases at their highest in five weeks, could also brighten its export prospects. Bharat Biotech said 40 countries were interested in COVAXIN.

Many Indian doctors and opposition politicians had rejected COVAXIN because it was approved by the drug regulator only on the basis of data from intermediate trials. The regulator has also authorised the use of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, marketed as Covishield in India, which was found to be 70.42 per cent effective based on overseas trials.

A woman poses after receiving a dose of Covishield vaccine  - Reuters
A woman poses after receiving a dose of Covishield vaccine - Reuters

04:36 AM

Biden calls decision to lift mask mandate 'Neanderthal thinking'

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said decisions to end the required wearing of masks - such as those by governors of Texas and Mississippi - amounted to "Neanderthal thinking" given the rising death toll from the pandemic.

Asked if he had a message to Texas and Mississippi, Mr Biden told reporters: "I think it's a big mistake. Look, I hope everybody's realised by now, these masks make a difference."

Mr Biden said the increasing availability of vaccinations was making a difference in containing the pandemic, but it was critical to remain vigilant about wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing.

"The last thing, the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that, 'In the meantime, everything's fine, take off your mask, forget it.' It still matters," Mr Biden said.

Read more: North Carolina mocked after prioritising anyone who has smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime for a vaccine

12:53 AM

Pandemic shuts down Sao Paulo as Brazil nears Pfizer deal

Brazil set a daily record for Covid-19 deaths for the second straight day on Wednesday, as a raging resurgence of the virus led Sao Paulo state to shutter businesses and the government to try to close vaccine deals with Pfizer and Janssen.

With a new variant from the Amazon spurring more infections, according to studies, 1,910 people died from the virus in the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data. In a year, Brazil's death toll has nearly topped 260,000.

A sputtering vaccination campaign has also put pressure on Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello, who said on Wednesday he was close to an agreement with Pfizer, effectively overcoming a dispute over liability clauses.

The government said it intended to buy 100 million doses from Pfizer and 38 million from Janssen, the pharmaceutical subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

"We've reached a grave moment of the pandemic. The coronavirus variants are hitting us aggressively," Mr Pazuello said in a video posted on social media, adding he expected Brazil to receive the Pfizer and Janssen vaccines by May.

An Indigenous woman shows her vaccination card after receiving the second dose of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine at a health station, in Guarulhos, near Sao Paulo - Reuters
An Indigenous woman shows her vaccination card after receiving the second dose of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine at a health station, in Guarulhos, near Sao Paulo - Reuters

12:31 AM

Venezuela detects Brazilian variant

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday said authorities have detected the Brazilian variant in the country.

Officials have recorded cases of the variant in Caracas, the capital, and in two states in the centre and south of the country, the president said in a live appearance on state television.

"We have 10 patients: six in Bolívar, two in Caracas and two in Miranda," Mr Maduro said. "It is a variant that is more contagious, transmits more viral load and is more dangerous, more serious," he said, adding "You have to cut the chains of contagion."

Venezuela has reported more than 139,900 cases and 1,344 deaths, but medical experts believe the figure is higher.

12:26 AM

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