The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has new recommendations that some experts do not go far enough.
Berlin – In the corona pandemic, vaccinations are considered an important means of preventing a severe course of Covid disease. The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has therefore repeatedly given recommendations on vaccinations. Now the new recommendations of the Stiko have become known.
According to the Stiko decision, which is available to the AFP news agency, a fourth corona vaccination is now recommended for all people between the ages of 60 and 69. According to the AFP report, the condition for this is that the first booster vaccination or the last corona infection was at least six months ago.
Recommendation of the StiKo “overdue” and expandable
The paper for updating the Covid 19 vaccination recommendation states that the interval can only be reduced to four months in “justified individual cases”. According to the Stiko draft decision, a fourth vaccination is also recommended for all people from the age of five with an increased risk of severe Covid 19 courses due to an underlying disease such as immune deficiency, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
Professor Timo Ulrichs from the University of Human Sciences in Berlin considers this recommendation to be “overdue”. He also emphasized to Merkur.de from IPPEN.MEDI A that it does not go far enough: “The data situation is clear as far as the protective effect of booster vaccinations is concerned, even in younger people.
“Involve even younger age groups”
“Actually, it could have included even younger age groups, because fourth vaccinations also reduce the risk of developing long-Covid”. In view of the upcoming wave of pandemics in autumn and winter, that is reason enough for a recommendation.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) welcomed Stiko’s decision and wrote on Twitter that it was “an important step in the right direction”. Lauterbach has also long advocated a fourth vaccination for people under 60. (at/afp)
