Germany to approve Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine for adults of all ages

Policy shift aims to counteract hesitancy around viral vector jabs in older people

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Germany is making the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus jab available to all adults irrespective of age or pre-existing health conditions, as the country switches to a twin-track strategy to counteract hesitancy around viral vector-based vaccines among older people.

The German health minister, Jens Spahn, announced on Monday that anyone who wished would be able to receive the one-shot J&J vaccine, as long as they had been made aware of the extremely low risk of a rare blood-clotting condition linked to the jab in the US.