Status: 08/22/2022 07:05 a.m
The chairman of the board of the World Medical Association has asked the STIKO to also give a vaccination recommendation for under 60-year-olds. Many doctors and hospitals would otherwise not vaccinate them, Montgomery said.
World Medical Director Frank Ulrich Montgomery has asked the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) for a recommendation for the second booster vaccination for younger people too. The fact that STIKO is now recommending the second booster for everyone over the age of 60 is good, said the chairman of the World Medical Association to the “RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland”. “The STIKO should also recommend that under-60s whose last vaccination or infection was at least six months ago can also get a second booster vaccination if they wish.”
Many doctors and hospitals would only vaccinate if there was a positive decision from the STIKO, Montgomery explained. “The fact that there is a legal possibility to be vaccinated is not enough for many. STIKO should consider that in their decisions,” explained the world medical director. Montgomery is only hoping for minor advances from the announced Omicron vaccine. But he will help to deal with the pandemic better.
Enough adapted vaccine ordered
A few days ago, STIKO declared that under 60-year-olds who have been vaccinated three times or who have been infected should not be vaccinated a fourth time. An exception is medical staff, for whom another booster vaccination is already recommended. For older people, on the other hand, it does not make sense to wait for future vaccines adapted to the new virus variants and to postpone vaccination.
With a view to the new vaccines against the BA.5 or BA.4 sublines, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said: “We have ordered so many adapted Omicron vaccines that there is enough for everyone.”
criticism of debate
The CEO of the German Hospital Society (DKG), Gerald Gaß, has generally criticized the debate about a fourth corona vaccination. “What’s happening right now is causing a lot of damage,” Gass said last week. “The debate about this does not lead to people being able to understand who should be vaccinated and when.” People would only hear “a polyphonic choir,” said the DKG boss. “And that means that the population is becoming very skeptical about the benefits of this fourth vaccination.”