The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) now officially recommends a second corona booster vaccination for people over 60 years of age. People in this age group and over the age of five with an increased risk of severe Covid 19 courses as a result of an underlying disease should receive another booster, according to a statement by the committee updating the vaccination recommendation. The Stiko is expanding its previous recommendation “with the primary goal of protecting particularly vulnerable people even better from severe Covid 19 diseases and Covid 19-related deaths”.
The further booster, preferably with an mRNA vaccine, is advisable after “three immunological events” – for example after primary immunization and the first booster vaccination or primary immunization and Sars-CoV-2 infection. The condition for the booster vaccination from the age of 60 is usually that at least six months have passed since the first booster vaccination or the last corona infection. According to Stiko, the interval can only be reduced to four months in justified individual cases.
So far, the committee had only recommended the second booster to people over the age of 70, people in care facilities, people with immunodeficiency and an increased risk of severe Covid 19 courses from the age of five and employees in medical facilities and care facilities. On Monday she had picture-Zeitung already reported that an expansion of the recommendation for the second booster for people over 60 is to come. In the updated Stiko recommendation, the committee also advocates the use of Novavax’s protein vaccine for basic immunization for young people from the age of twelve – previously it was only recommended from the age of 18. Two doses should be given at least three weeks apart. In addition to vaccination, Stiko now recommends the antibody preparation Evusheld as a preventive measure to special groups aged twelve and over. It consists of two Sars-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies.