General Medical Council says AstraZeneca vaccine should be given to over-65s

Portugal’s general medical council (Ordem dos Médicos) has defended administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the over-65s, saying data is “sufficiently robust” to support efficacy of the vaccine for this age group. In so doing, Portugal will be able to move along in protecting its most vulnerable more quickly. France’s president Macron caused huge disquiet when he said the vaccine was ‘quasi-ineffective’ for older people – without any scientific basis. France has since changed its opinion, as has Germany.