The European Medicines Agency is due to make a decision on the vaccine on Friday.
A German expert panel has recommended the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine not be approved for use in those over 65 years of age.
The independent commission advising the German government on vaccination policy has cited a lack of sufficient data in its decision not to recommend it for over 65s.
“There [is] currently insufficient data available to assess the vaccine efficacy from 65 years of age,” the commission said.
“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 yet to make a decision on whether to approve the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, although it is expected to do so on Friday.
The vaccine, which is jointly developed with the University of Oxford, has been approved for use in the UK with some people in the north of Ireland receiving the first dose of the vaccine.
The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been been approved for use in the European Union.
Ireland is due to begin vaccinating over 70s next month, however this is assuming the AstraZeneca vaccine is approved by the EMA on Friday.
