Corona booster: This is how you can get an appointment for the booster quicker

booster
This way you can get an appointment for the Corona booster quicker

More than 6.1 million people have already received it – the booster vaccination against the coronavirus, also known as a booster. The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) now recommends the third vaccination for everyone over the age of 18who received the second dose six months ago. A shortening of the vaccination interval to five months is possible in individual cases or with appropriate capacities. There is also an exception for people who have previously received the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson: You can get a boost just four weeks after the single vaccination.

Priority for the booster vaccinations should initially be given to older people and those with previous illnesses, because they usually received the second vaccination a long time ago. Studies also show that members of these risk groups usually form fewer antibodies from the outset than younger, healthy people after primary immunization with two doses of vaccine. You will therefore particularly benefit from a booster. Even those who have not been vaccinated so far should be immunized “as a matter of priority”, as the Stiko writes.

After the Stiko recommendation was extended to all adults aged 18 and over, the demand for booster vaccination appointments has increased in many places – as has the frustration of many who want to be vaccinated. Because sometimes it is not that easy to get a timely appointment. In particular, general practitioners’ practices are currently partially overwhelmed with inquiries – And that in times when, in addition to Corona, there are a number of cold germs circulating, so the practices are already quite full.

So what do you do if the second vaccination was six months ago and your own family doctor’s practice currently has no vaccination capacities? In the following you will find an overview with tips and portals that will make it easier for you to arrange appointments. Feel free to share the information with neighbors, colleagues and friends who you know belong to a risk group and would like to be boosted – or even better: make an appointment for them right away.

Ask doctors from different specialties

Not only family doctors vaccinate against the coronavirus, but also urologists, gynecologists, orthopedists and dermatologists. Some practices already indicate on their websites whether they can currently make appointments and, if so, to which groups of people this applies. If possible, find out in advance about the procedure in the individual practices. This saves you unnecessary emails and calls.

Use mobile vaccination offers

The vaccination centers are currently not reopened everywhere. But mobile vaccination teams are on the move in many places. Hospitals, libraries and shopping centers are also being converted into vaccination centers at least on a daily basis in some cities. An overview of spontaneous vaccination campaigns or vaccination centers is available by clicking on the individual federal states.

Important to know: An appointment is required for some of the vaccination offers.

Use digital appointment brokers

Doctolib is an appointment booking portal for patients. Currently there is a separate section for Covid vaccinations. You can choose from appointments for first and second vaccinations as well as boosters. Important to know: Some practices only assign appointments for existing patients, so it is essential to pay attention to the instructions during the booking process.

The platform “provides additional support for finding appointments”Corona vaccination appointments“. It scours through Doctolib and sends notifications via Twitter and Telegram as soon as new vaccination dates are set. The offer is currently available for 23 major German cities.

Also the app “Vaccination Finder“(Android / iOS) provides information about available appointments in the vicinity. In principle, the search radius can be set to a distance of up to 100 kilometers. Practices must register to use the app. Appointments are also displayed here, for example via Doctolib cannot be booked.

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