Status: 03/29/2022 5:09 p.m
In view of the high corona numbers, the EU wants to issue a uniform recommendation for a fourth vaccination. Federal Health Minister Lauterbach had previously spoken out in favor of a fourth vaccination for everyone over the age of 60.
The handling of a possible fourth corona vaccination is to be aligned across the EU. The EU Commission will “work out a recommendation for the fourth vaccination within a very short time on the basis of scientific expertise,” said Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach after a meeting with his EU colleagues in Brussels. The majority of the health ministers of the EU countries supported his proposal to align national vaccination strategies. The recommendation of the EU Commission could “also be an important compass for Germany for dealing with the second boost”.
Lauterbach refers to studies from Israel
Lauterbach had previously campaigned for a fourth corona vaccination for people over 60 years of age. The SPD politician referred to studies from Israel. These have shown that the risk of dying as a result of an infection in this age group can be reduced by up to 80 percent with another booster vaccination.
At the meeting of EU health ministers, he campaigned for such a renewed booster to be offered in all EU member states. “We must not forget that the Covid pandemic is not over in Europe. We have a very high number of cases, unfortunately we also have a very high number of deaths,” Lauterbach warned at the meeting with his counterparts. “The situation in Europe in terms of the pandemic is worse than people feel,” he added. In addition, public attention is currently increasingly focused on the war against Ukraine.
There are enough vaccines in Europe, Lauterbach emphasized. With low-income countries importing fewer and fewer vaccines from the EU, vaccines could even have to be destroyed because they expire. From the point of view of the Federal Minister of Health, the active ingredients from the manufacturer Moderna as well as from BioNTech and Pfizer could be considered for a second booster.
Lauterbach warned against waiting until vaccines are available that have been adapted to the new omicron variants of the corona virus. That could last until autumn, according to the current planning status until September.
STIKO recommends fourth vaccination for over 70-year-olds
In Germany, the Standing Vaccination Commission recommends a second booster vaccination for people over the age of 70, residents of old people’s homes and people with immune deficiency diseases from the age of five. The recommendation also applies to employees in health and care facilities, especially if they come into direct contact with patients.
In the case of people at risk of health, the new booster vaccination should therefore be administered no earlier than three months after the first booster vaccination, and for employees in the healthcare sector after six months at the earliest.