Status: 07/16/2021 5:41 p.m.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Söder wants a general corona vaccination recommendation to be made for children and adolescents from the age of twelve – and taunts the vaccination commission. The answers with clear words.
In the debate about corona vaccinations for children and adolescents, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) is increasingly defending itself against political pressure. “The current statements by Mr. Söder and other politicians about the STIKO and their work are unusual, also taking into account the election campaign time, and must be corrected,” said the independent committee headed by virologist Thomas Mertens. The aim of the STIKO is to develop the best possible vaccination recommendation for individual people and for the community. “This is done regardless of the opinions and wishes of politicians and the pharmaceutical industry.”
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder had in one BR interview affirms that a general corona vaccination recommendation for children and adolescents from the age of twelve must go faster. He spoke of the STIKO as a voluntary organization, whereas the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are the “professionals”. In May, the EMA approved the Covid-19 vaccine from BioNTech / Pfizer for children and adolescents aged twelve and over.
For Germany, however, the STIKO has so far only recommended vaccination for children and adolescents with certain previous illnesses who are at increased risk of a severe course. The reasons given by the STIKO are still missing data on the safety of the vaccine.
STIKO “by no means” less professional than EMA
The committee now emphasized that it was “by no means” less professional than the EMA, but had different tasks than it. The EMA examines approval documents and issues approvals. “On the other hand, it is the STIKO’s task to develop recommendations on how an approved Covid-19 vaccine can best be used in the population.”
The STIKO is “significantly supported” by employees of the Robert Koch Institute and works according to the legal mandate “transparently according to strict scientific criteria”. What is to be achieved with the vaccination recommendations of the STIKO is set out in the Infection Protection Act. The members are therefore appointed by the Federal Ministry of Health “in consultation with the highest state health authorities”.
Söder said in the interview that the AstraZeneca vaccine was now a “slow seller” because there had been a back and forth with different STIKO recommendations. The committee also counters this point: The updates made over time are “an expression of the careful analysis of constantly changing and newly emerging scientific findings, which are published in quick succession in view of the dynamism of research on Covid-19”.