As of: 09/20/2022 4:57 p.m
The recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Committee is out: it advises a corona booster vaccination with the new adapted Omikron vaccines. The primary goal remains “the prevention of severe Covid 19 courses”.
The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) has issued its long-awaited recommendation for the Omikron boosters: It now recommends a booster vaccination, preferably with these new vaccines. However, a fourth vaccination is still only recommended for certain groups, such as people over 60 years of age.
Christian Bogdan, Microbiological Institute, University Hospital Erlangen, on the recommendations of the Standing Vaccination Committee
9/20/2022 5:28 p.m
Both the booster adapted to the omicron variant BA.1 and the vaccine adapted to the subvariants BA.4/BA.5 could be used. Both elicited an improved antibody response against different omicron variants compared to previous mRNA vaccines, it said. In addition, there were consistently good answers to the variant from the early phase of the pandemic. The primary goal remains “the prevention of severe Covid 19 courses”.
Target groups do not change
The recommendation does not change anything for the target groups. A first booster vaccination (third dose) is still recommended for people aged 12 and over – “usually six months after completion of the basic immunization or past infection”.
The groups that STIKO has been recommending a second booster (fourth dose) for some time now include people over the age of 60, high-risk patients such as immunocompromised people over the age of twelve, residents of nursing homes and staff in the health and care sector. Here, too, there is usually a gap of six months from the previous vaccination or infection.
In the case of people who are particularly at risk, such as the elderly and patients with a weakened immune system, it may make sense to administer a fifth dose, depending on previous vaccinations and infections, the STIKO said.
Standing Vaccination Commission recommends booster with adapted vaccine
Viktoria Kleber, RBB, daily news at 5:00 p.m., September 20, 2022
If there is a special indication for a booster vaccination in children aged five to eleven years, the previous vaccines that are recommended and approved for this age group should continue to be used.
The STIKO recommends basic immunization and a booster vaccination, a so-called booster, for everyone over the age of twelve. Another booster vaccination should be given to people over the age of 60 and everyone over the age of five who has an underlying disease and is therefore at increased risk of severe Covid 19 courses. The same recommendation applies to anyone aged 12 and over with underlying medical conditions, staff in medical and nursing facilities, and nursing home residents.
The vaccines that have now been adapted are not approved for basic immunization, i.e. for the first and second dose of vaccination. The vaccines used up until now will continue to be used for this.
Existing vaccines can continue to be used
In addition, the existing vaccines could continue to be used, which still provide very good protection against severe courses, hospital stays and death.
In the past few weeks, several advanced corona vaccines have been approved in the EU. It can be used in people aged 12 and over as a booster vaccination. In addition to Omikron, the new vaccines also take into account the original corona virus.
Data on adapted vaccines still sparse
In its decision, the STIKO made no distinction between the BA.1 vaccines and the newer BA.4/BA.5 preparation, said committee member Christian Bogdan. The relatively sparse data situation was therefore difficult for the expert panel. This applies in particular to the newer BA.4/BA.5 preparation.