Germany on Thursday approved the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 65, the health ministry said, AFP reported. “The vaccine commission now recommends the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 as well. This is good news for older people who are waiting for a jab,” said Health Minister Jens Spahn.

Also read: Free antigen tests will be offered for all in Germany from March

The country had earlier refused to grant approval to the vaccine for older people citing a lack of sufficient data. However, it has changed its position following recent studies.

The Health Minister said that the “new data also shows that the vaccine is even more effective when the first and second jabs are administered 12 weeks apart.”

Thursday’s announcement came a day after German chancellor Angela Merkel said the country’s vaccine commission would be changing their position on the AstraZeneca jab.

Germany’s government had been criticised in recent weeks for muddled communications regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine. This led to a public perception that the jab was less effective than those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Also read: WHO gives global green light for AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot

The country was left with hundreds of thousands of unopened doses after some Germans first in line for a COVID-19 jab have spurned the AstraZeneca offer

Approval to the vaccine is expected to pace-up Germany’s vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus. 

Meanwhile, Sweden too on Thursday approved the AstraZeneca jab for people over the age of 65. France this week had greenlighted the jab for people between the ages of 65 and 75 with a medical condition.