The Stiko wants to extend its recommendation for a second booster vaccination to all people over the age of 60. Virologist Klaus Stöhr thinks that makes sense.
Munich – The Standing Vaccination Commission apparently wants to expand its vaccination recommendation for a second booster against the corona virus. The picture reported on Monday (August 15), citing a confidential draft. According to this, the Stiko should also recommend the second booster vaccination for all people over 60 years of age.
According to the report, the condition for the first booster vaccination or the last corona infection was at least six months ago. The interval can only be reduced to four months in individual cases. So far, the Stiko recommendation for the second booster only applied to people over the age of 70, people in care facilities, people with an immune deficiency and an increased risk of severe Covid 19 courses from the age of five and employees in medical facilities and care facilities.
Virologist Stöhr: Stiko’s new booster recommendation makes “particularly sense this year”
The epidemiologist and virologist Klaus Stöhr spoke to Merkur.de from IPPEN.MEDIA about the reports on the new booster recommendation from Stiko. “Considering that about 99 percent of deaths occurred in people over 50 and 90 percent in people over 60, it makes sense to offer this age group a booster vaccination this fall before the main respiratory disease season, winter.” , explained Stoehr. The same applies to influenza.
“This year it makes particular sense, because certainly not all people have been able to build up natural immunity after a corona infection at least once, but preferably several times,” added the expert. “We’ll have to see next year whether the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection next winter will make vaccination of those over 60 seem reasonable again when weighing the advantages and disadvantages,” says Stöhr.
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The EU authorities ECDC and EMA had already called on the member states at the beginning of July to offer a second booster vaccination from the age of 60. At that time, Stöhr spoke out against an immediate refresher in order to prevent the effect from deflagrating by the autumn.
New booster recommendation from Stiko: Lauterbach thanks – Ulrichs considers it “overdue”
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had repeatedly discussed a second booster for broader sections of the population. He wrote about the reports on the new recommendation via Twitter: “Thanks to the Stiko that the recommendation for the fourth vaccination for the over 60 group is now coming.” This is an “important step” in the right direction. People over 60 should not wait for the adapted Omicron vaccine, he emphasized in his tweet. “Now the risk is already there. Existing vaccines protect against a severe course,” says Lauterbach.
The Berlin epidemiologist and university professor Timo Ulrichs considers the draft of the new Stiko recommendation to be “overdue”. He emphasized to Merkur.de from IPPEN.MEDIA that it did not go far enough: “The data is clear as far as the protective effect of booster vaccinations is concerned, even for younger people.” According to the expert, the Stiko should also include other age groups in order to look at to reduce the “risk of developing Long Covid” in the autumn and winter. (ph)
