Two more Australian deaths linked to extremely rare AstraZeneca blood clotting condition sbs.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sbs.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Germany on Tuesday joined AstraZeneca in rubbishing reports quoting unnamed government sources that claimed the British-Swedish company s COVID-19 vaccine showed little efficacy for people above 65.
Germany s health ministry said it appears that two things have been mixed up in the reports after Handelsblatt economic daily reported on Monday that Berlin had estimated the efficacy of the jab among over-65s was just eight per cent, citing unnamed sources. Around eight per cent of the volunteers in AstraZeneca s efficacy studies were around 56 and 69 years old and three to four per cent are above 70 years old, said the ministry.
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BioNTech is working flat out with partner Pfizer to boost production of their COVID-19 vaccine, its founders said, warning there would be gaps in supply until other vaccines were rolled out.
The German biotech startup has led the vaccine race but its shot has been slow to arrive in the European Union due to relatively slow approval from the bloc’s health regulator and the small size of the order placed by Brussels.
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The delays have caused consternation in Germany, where some regions had to temporarily close vaccination centres days after the launch of an inoculation drive on Dec. 27.