BRUSSELS - European nations have performed a U-turn, admitting they were wrong to suggest that the Oxford vaccine might be ineffective.
Germany made the vaccine available to over-65s after Angela Merkel, the chancellor, called for age restrictions to be lifted and said the jab is “highly effective”.
Jean Castex, the French prime minister, said the vaccine was "very efficient" and as good as the other EU-approved jabs.
Sweden also extended its recommendation for the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine to cover people aged over 65.
Berlin previously said available data was insufficient to approve the jab for the elderly, but it changed its position following recent studies. "New data shows the vaccine is even more effective when the first and second jabs are administered 12 weeks apart," said German health minister, Jens Spahn.
