Germany is negotiating with Russia to acquire the Sputnik V vaccine as Italy, Australia, Spain, Portugal and Belgium joined the list of countries restricting the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.

At least 6.5 million doses of Sputnik V have been secured by four governments in the EU, where sentiment has turned sharply against AstraZeneca amid delivery shortfalls and collapsing public confidence in the safety of its product.

Two German regions have joined Hungary and Slovakia in ordering Sputnik V. Austria is preparing to buy a million doses, the first 300,000 of which are expected within weeks. Bavaria also announced plans to open the EU’s first state-backed factory for the vaccine.

AstraZeneca has suffered several other setbacks. The African Union, which represents 55 countries, abandoned its plan to buy the vaccine, saying yesterday that it would turn to Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot jab.

During the past week Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, South Korea, Australia, Portugal and the Philippines also followed France in recommending that the AstraZeneca vaccine be administered only to older adults.

At least 12 countries have announced age thresholds, ranging from 55 to 65, in response to cases of an extremely rare blood disease in AstraZeneca vaccine recipients under the age of 60. Some of the limits, such as Belgium’s, are temporary.

Britain took a slightly different approach on Wednesday, advising against giving the vaccine to under-30s.

Michele Emiliano, the governor of Puglia in southern Italy, said that half the region’s residents offered the jab had refused it. “It will get worse, thanks to the confused way the European drug agency is communicating about the vaccine,” Emiliano told La Repubblica.

A survey for Le Figaro found that only 28 per cent of French people trusted the AstraZeneca vaccine compared with 70 per cent for Pfizer, 65 per cent for Moderna and 59 per cent for Johnson & Johnson. A poll in Germany, carried out by the Forsa Institute, suggested that 44 per cent of the population would reject the AstraZeneca vaccine, whereas only 30 per cent would refuse Sputnik V.

Jens Spahn, the German health minister, confirmed that his government had entered talks with Moscow over the option to receive Sputnik V if and when it was approved by the European medical regulator.

AstraZeneneca around the world

UK Offering alternatives for under-30s if possible.
Belgium Given to those aged 56 and over.
Estonia Suspended use for under-60s.
France Given to those aged 55 and over.
Finland Given to those aged 65 and over.
Germany Recommends use for over-60s.
Italy Recommends use for over-60s.
Netherlands Over-60s.
Spain Over-60s.
Sweden Used for those aged 65 and older.
Denmark Suspended.
Norway Not using, pending decision next week.
Africa Africa Union dropped plans to buy.
Australia Over-50s only.
Canada Suspended vaccine to under-55s.
US Pending regulatory approval.

In light of the turmoil around the AstraZeneca vaccine, one might ask why different countries made such different decisions. The answer is they are arriving at similar positions, albeit by varied routes (Oliver Moody writes).

When reports emerged in March of rare but occasionally deadly side effects, they were attributed to “blood clots” — vague enough to be dismissed by sceptics as an overreaction.

But days later Germany noticed seven cases of an unusual cerebral blood-clotting disorder, prompting its recommendation against the jab in young adults. Britain, however, waited more than a fortnight before following suit.

Germany detected the risk early on because it was mostly under-60s who were given the jab. In the UK, where the reverse was initially the case, the warning signs appeared weeks later.