German expert panel recommends giving AstraZeneca shot only to under 65s

BERLIN (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine should only be given to people aged under 65, Germany's vaccine committee said in an update to its vaccine recommendation, citing a lack of sufficient data to recommend use in older age groups.

"There are currently insufficient data available to assess the vaccine efficacy from 65 years of age," the committee said in the resolution made available by the German health ministry on Thursday.

"The AstraZeneca vaccine, unlike the mRNA vaccines, should only be offered to people aged 18-64 years at each stage."

The European Medicines Agency is expected to make a decision on whether to approve AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.

(Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Maria Sheahan)