The country’s rollout of Covid jabs was faltering after it emerged just 150,000 of the 1.5 million doses of the Oxford-produced shot has been used on Friday. It was claimed just 200 people turned up at the Tegel vaccination centre in Berlin, which only administers the AstraZeneca vaccine, for 3,800 daily vaccines. There is growing scepticism over the safety and efficacy of the Anglo-Swedish firm’s jab after a sustain period of derogatory briefings against it.

But today German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s official spokesman urged citizens to back the vaccine to get the country’s rollout back on track.

He said: “The vaccine from #AstraZeneca is safe and highly effective.

“It prevents many infections and protects against serious illness.

“Vaccination can save lives.”

The European Commission has said European states have to do more to convince people that vaccines are safe.

In recent weeks, senior European politicians have questioned the safety of the AstraZeneca.

French President Emmanuel Macron the jab was “quasi-ineffective for people over 65”.

And Commission President Ursula von der Leyen cast doubt over the use of vaccines without following the EU’s authorisation process.

She said: “I remind you that a vaccine is the injection of an active biological substance into a healthy body.

“We are talking about mass vaccination here, it is a gigantic responsibility.”

More to follow…