Germany Lifts Priority Limits to Offer Johnson & Johnson Vaccine to All People

Germany lifted a priority system on Monday to determine who gets Johnson & Johnson's vaccine jabs first.

As the majority of people over 60 expected to be already vaccinated by June, Health Minister Jens Spahn said authorities decided not to restrict the jabs to older people over very rare thrombosis risks.

Moreover, Spahn noted that younger people can choose to take the vaccine, which only requires one shot, after consultation with their doctors

"So we are lifting prioritisation for Johnson & Johnson, like we have done for AstraZeneca... so that everyone can have the possibility of getting vaccinated after clarifications with their doctors and based on their inpidual decisions," he said.

The move would allow Germany "to work on this vaccination campaign with greater speed, in a pragmatic manner."

The Health Minister also affirmed that 10 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines would be delivered over June and July.

Germany had initially recommended AstraZeneca vaccines only for older people following concerns over several blood clotting cases among younger recipients of the vaccine. But it has since allowed the vaccine to all adults who want them after consultations with doctors.

In the same context, the European Medicines Agency has previously mentioned that blood clots should be listed as a rare side effect of both the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca jabs. However, the Agency asserted that the benefits continue to outweigh risks.