German Experts Say Under-60s Who Received AstraZeneca Shot Should Get DIFFERENT Vaccine For Second Jab

German scientists recommend to use a different vaccine for the second shot. image: Pixabay

German Experts Say Under-60s Who Received AstraZeneca Shot Should Get DIFFERENT Vaccine For Second Jab.

A panel of German experts have recommended that those who received one AstraZeneca jab should take another vaccine as their second dose since the British jab’s side effects could be more dangerous than taking two different products.

All Germans under 60 “should be given a dose of an mRNA vaccine 12 weeks after the first vaccination instead of the second AstraZeneca … dose,” the German Government’s Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) said in its latest draft recommendation published on Thursday. The jabs produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were mentioned as possible substitutes.

“So far, no data are available on the risk of the second vaccination [with AstraZeneca],” the expert panel admits, adding that “scientific evidence” on safety and effectiveness of vaccination with two different jabs is also lacking. Still, STIKO recommended the second option for that age group.

AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria jab can only be given to those under 60 “at the discretion of the doctor” and after a patient accepts all potential risks, the panel concluded.

The rather unorthodox advice, which implies that millions of people might potentially be forced to rely on a yet-untested vaccination strategy, comes amid serious concerns related to the British-Swedish vaccine’s potential serious side effects.

“At the moment, one can only speculate about the risk of having been vaccinated twice,” Thomas Mertens, the head of STIKO, told Der Spiegel on Thursday referring to the Vaxzevria jab.

Netherlands Becomes Latest Country To Suspend Use Of AstraZeneca Jab To Under 60s

The Dutch Government has suspended the rollout of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus jabs for people under the age of 60 after fresh reports came in of rare blood clots. The sudden move comes after five new cases of clots were discovered in the Netherlands, affecting women between 25 and 65 years of age, one of whom sadly died.

‘We must err on the side of caution, which is why it is wise to press the pause button now as a precaution,’ Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said in a statement. The suspension of AstraZeneca jabs will last until April 7 when the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected to come out with fresh advice on the issue, he said.

It is still mandatory to wear masks during the pandemic, Amazon has a great range in stock, click on the link to see what they have on offer. https://amzn.to/3826Rmr

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Ron Howells

Ron actually started his working career as an Ophthalmic Technician- things changed when, during a band rehearsal, his amplifier blew up and he couldn’t get it fixed so he took a course at Birmingham University and ended up doing a degree course. He built up a chain of electronics stores and sold them as a franchise over 35 years ago. After five years touring the world Ron decided to move to Spain with his wife and son, a place they had visited over the years, and only bought the villa they live in because it has a guitar-shaped swimming pool!. Playing the guitar since the age of 7, he can often be seen, (and heard!) at beach bars and clubs along the length of the coast. He has always been interested in the news and constantly thrives to present his articles in an interesting and engaging way.

Comments