STIKO recommendation: Under 30-year-olds should only receive BioNTech

According to STIKO, under 30-year-olds should in future only be vaccinated against corona with the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine. The background to this are observations of cardiac muscle and pericardial inflammation in young people after vaccinations with Moderna.

According to the recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO), people under the age of 30 should only be vaccinated against Corona with the vaccine from BioNTech / Pfizer. Current analyzes showed that heart muscle and pericardial inflammation in boys and young men as well as girls and young women were observed more frequently after vaccination with Moderna (Spikevax) than after the BioNTech vaccination, the commission said.

The Covid-19 vaccination recommendation will be updated accordingly. The draft resolution had gone to expert groups and federal states for a vote. Changes are therefore still possible. According to the safety reports available to date, the course of the heart muscle and pericardial inflammation is “predominantly mild”, they say. For people over 30 years of age, there is no increased risk of heart muscle inflammation.

BioNTech only for pregnant women

According to the new recommendation, pregnant women should only be given BioNTech regardless of age. In addition to the basic vaccination, the recommendation also applies to booster vaccinations – that is, under 30-year-olds vaccinated with Moderna should now also receive their second or possibly third vaccination with BioNTech.

The STIKO pointed out that since the introduction of the two vaccines it has been known that in rare cases after the vaccination, inflammation of the heart muscle and / or pericardium in younger people occurs.