Fourth vaccination against corona: for whom does it make sense?

Created: 07/27/2022, 17:38

The omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to cause high numbers of infections.

But for whom does a fourth vaccination make sense, and who can wait?

Two years after the pandemic began, the coronavirus is still an issue.

Not least because the prevailing omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in Germany cause high numbers of infections.

Accordingly, the question arises, does another booster make sense and if so, for whom and when?

Might it even make more sense to wait for an adapted vaccine, which is supposed to come out in the fall?

The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) currently recommends the second booster for over 70-year-olds, for residents of old people's and nursing homes and people with immune deficiency diseases from the age of five.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), on the other hand, advocates a refresher from the age of 60, depending on the respective vaccination rate, as reported by the

.

Despite the high number of infections, a fourth vaccination does not make sense for everyone.

© Jochen Eckel/Imago

Fourth vaccination against corona: for whom does it make sense?

"The data show that a fourth vaccination helps," said Prof. Ulrike Protzer from the Technical University of Munich in the

.

The virologist therefore advises risk groups in particular not to wait for the adapted vaccine.

"These groups with an increased risk should now be vaccinated for the fourth time." 

A study by the Israeli Ministry of Health shows that four months after the third vaccination, a booster approximately doubles the protection against infection.

However, another study from Israel shows that the protection wears off after just four weeks.

After eight weeks there is hardly any difference between three and four times vaccinated.

Fourth vaccination against corona: those with a healthy immune system can wait for an adapted vaccine

However, the protection against a severe course did not decrease, but this is very high even in people who have been vaccinated three times.

Therefore, Carsten Watzl, Professor of Immunology and General Secretary of the German Society for Immunology, sees no need for a fourth vaccination in immunocompetent people, reports the

.

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Prof. Ulrike Protzer from the Technical University of Munich takes a similar view.

The virologist told the

that people who have been vaccinated three times without previous illnesses can wait for the Omicron-adapted vaccines in autumn.

According to Moderna, these also promise a better antibody reaction against the highly contagious variant.