As South Korean health authorities mull the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in people 65 years and older, Germany's vaccination committee has reversed its guidance not to administer the Oxford, AstraZeneca jab to over-65s in light of new studies proving the vaccine's efficacy.
We have Daniel White of DW News joining us live from Berlin.
Daniel, while the European Medicines Agency cleared the AstraZeneca shot for all adults in January, Germany was among several European countries and South Korea that advised limiting its use because of a lack of clinical trial data on its efficacy in the over-65 age group. Now, it's confirmed that it had updated that guidance. What's prompted this change of heart and why now?
It was a German company - BioNTech - that came up with one of the first approved vaccines yet Germany is still lagging way behind with vaccinations. Where did it all go wrong? As of today, how much of the German population have been vaccinated?
Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel has unveiled a 5-step plan to ease Germany's lockdown restrictions. She had previously said she wanted to wait until infections were at much lower levels until before easing lockdowns. Is this a U-turn from the German chancellor?
Daniel, any sense of when Germany and Europe will begin to get back to a relative normality?
Daniel Winter, DW correspondent crossing out live for us from Berlin. Thanks, Daniel. Great coverage.