Germany bans it for over 65s. Absolutely extraordinary that only 6% of those tested for the Oxford vaccine were over 65. Covid19 has virtually no serious effects on those under 65. I'm no medic but common sense tells me this is insane. It's like testing only under 50s with a vaccine against old age.

It could have serious consequences if true. Everyone I know who has had the vaccine are mauling and breathing on each other with wild abandon.

Banned for over 65s you mean? But yes the 6% testing is insane.

But the ban is even madder unless there is data to show it may harm the over 65s surely? They are only saying there is a lack of data about its efficacy in older people - not that it isn't effective. And all indicators show it should be.

Thank fuck Boris is batting away such a silly response and we are cracking on with it...

Yes I do mean OVER 65s - not banned but not advised. It's the lack of testing that astonishes me.

You see if it could be OK'd after testing when only a few over 65s were amongst the test people, what else can have been missed? Side effects? Might over 65s be MORE likely, if they do catch it, to die? Who knows? Could "first" be "slapdash"? And the authorisation process flawed? I'm sure this must have been why the Flu vaccine in 2017-2018 was "wrong". NOT PROPERLY TESTED???

Yes there is a potential disaster and this being the story of 2021 as we go back to first base. I am trying not to think about that...Sincerely hope this is the beginning of the end of this story.

As I say in my End of Covid thread, I think this IS the final weeks of the lunacy. Because, however bonkers the tests on the Oxford vaccine were, all vaccines seem to strongly dilute the worst effects of Covid and, as a 76 year old diabetic, that's all I want. That, for me, was the huge PLUS of the flu vaccine. I didn't mind getting it but was delighted when (usually) it was 24 hours and not 4-5 days. I've always said in the future we'll get both flu and covid jabs at the same time, each October.

There seems to be no suggestion that there could be side effects just that the data is much more limited for over 65s. I don't understand Germanys decision.

The commentary at the foot of the link below is interesting. It says the reason scientists tested mainly the young was indeed to get the vaccines out as quickly as possible, though it doesn't say why older people were harder to come by, and that scientists were open about this at the time.

So presumably they are highly confident that efficacy will pass across age groups, even if all vaccines dwindle a bit the older you are.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55847387