Germany fears EU will not approve AstraZeneca vaccine for seniors, Bild says

It marks another potential blow for AstraZeneca Plc, which developed its vaccine with Oxford University. It told the EU on Friday it could not meet agreed supply targets up to the end of March. AstraZeneca had no immediate comment.

AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is not very effective for people over 65, German coalition sources told newspapers Bild and Handelsblatt, a step which calls into question its suitability in mass vaccination programmes.

German officials fear that the AstraZeneca vaccine may not be approved by EMA, the European Union medicines authority, for use in those over 65, Bild, a tabloid, said in its online edition. It marks another potential blow for AstraZeneca Plc, which developed its vaccine with Oxford University. It told the EU on Friday it could not meet agreed supply targets up to the end of March.

AstraZeneca had no immediate comment.