Astrazeneca-Aus for younger people could mean massive problems for schools

A course correction follows with the Astrazeneca vaccine.

Vaccinations have generally been stopped for people under the age of 60.

The decision of the health ministers raises questions.

• Corona vaccinations with Astrazeneca should generally only be given to people over the age of 60.

  But many questions still need to be answered

  (update from March 31, 9.11 a.m.)

  .

• The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) officially changed its recommendation for Astrazeneca vaccinations.

  The federal and state governments followed

  (see update from March 30, 6:50 p.m.).

• Berlin, Munich and Brandenburg suspended Astrazeneca * vaccinations for people under 60 for the time being on Tuesday

  (see update from March 30, 4:05 p.m.).

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Update from March 31, 12:59 p.m

.: The Saarland temporarily suspends vaccinations with Astrazeneca on Wednesday.

However, no vaccination appointments have been canceled, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Saarbrücken, as reported by the Saarland Broadcasting Corporation (SR).

Instead of Astrazeneca, the appointments are now vaccinated with Biontech * or Moderna *.

All those affected have already been informed.

The further course of action of the Saarland will be discussed and initiated by the vaccination staff on Wednesday.

Two thirds of the women who have already been vaccinated with Astazeneca are in the critical age between 20 and 60. Health Minister Monika Bachmann (CDU) is waiting for the experts to assess whether these women should receive a different vaccine for the second vaccination.

European Medicines Agency (EMA) advises on Astrazeneca

Update from March 31, 11:33 a.m

.: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) wants to

advise

on the safety of the Astrazeneca vaccine in the coming week (from April 6 to 9).

A group of experts had already met on Monday, it is said.

Then an update of the EMA recommendation is expected, as the EMA announced on dpa request.

The EMA's safety committee recently confirmed that the vaccine was "safe and effective" and that there was no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.

The EMA had also stressed that experts would continue to review cases of thrombosis. 

Meanwhile, Astrazeneca is renaming its corona vaccine, as

Merkur.de

* reports.

The preparation now officially has a new name

Update from March 31, 11:08 a.m

.: When it comes to vaccination, there is still a lot of room for improvement in Germany.

Is Astrazeneca's Age Limit Now Setting Back the Vaccination Campaign?

SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach calls for a preliminary new vaccination strategy for Germany in the coronavirus pandemic, as

Merkur.de

* reports.

Astrazeneca: The most important questions and answers to the decision

Update from March 31st, 9.11 a.m

.: The Astrazeneca vaccine should generally only be administered to people over 60 years of age from this Wednesday (March 31st).

This is the decision of the health ministers following a recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko).

But questions remain unanswered.

Who can still be vaccinated and what happens if the second vaccination is still pending?

Younger people - people under the age of 60 - can continue to be vaccinated with Astrazeneca at their own risk, after consulting a doctor and carefully advising them.

This is especially true for high-risk patients, for whom the risk of a severe course of Covid-19 is particularly high.

If people decide to do so, these vaccinations should always be given in practices for general practitioners.

Astrazeneca - What happens to the second vaccination in under-60s?

What happens to under-60s if the second Astrazeneca vaccination is still pending?

Stiko wants to examine this question by the end of April.

At Astrazeneca, a maximum of 12 weeks may pass between the first and second vaccination.

Affected people can wait until then, but also after consulting the doctor, having "thorough education" and "individual risk analysis", they can be vaccinated with Astrazeneca after the decision.

The German Teachers' Association has described the change in the age limits for vaccination with Astrazeneca as a "catastrophic setback for the vaccination of teachers, which is just starting to take off".

Against this background, association president Heinz-Peter Meidinger called for a quick opportunity for teachers under 60 to be vaccinated with Biontech / Pfizer and soon with Johnson & Johnson.

"If this exchange does not take place immediately, there will be no more vaccinations for teachers in April," said Meidinger of the German Press Agency.

In addition to the rising incidences, this then massively jeopardizes the chances of keeping schools open. 

In Baden-Württemberg, the vaccination sequence was specially changed because of Astrazeneca, as

reported by echo24.de

*.

Astrazeneca-Aus for younger people: Health ministers follow suit - what happens to the second vaccination?

Update from March 30th, 9.49pm:

At the press conference, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Health Minister Jens Spahn commented on stopping the Astrazeneca vaccinations for people under 60. “The federal and state governments have decided to follow the Stiko.

Vaccination is the most important means against the coronavirus, that we have several vaccines, is lucky, "said the Chancellor.

It will soon be clear "with which vaccines full protection is achieved for those who have been vaccinated for the first time".

"It was right to suspend Astrazeneca, and to get an idea of ​​the situation," said Spahn looking back on the suspension of the vaccine a few days ago, which was, however, withdrawn.

One can rely on "that vaccines are meticulously monitored".

Corona: Spahn appeals to people over 60 - "can now be vaccinated faster"

“We know what a decision like this means on a day like today.

The federal states will implement the recommendation in the vaccination campaign from tomorrow, ”said the Federal Minister of Health.

Spahn appealed to those over 60 to get vaccinated.

"People over 60 can now be vaccinated more quickly", it is now important to "protect the elderly in the growing third wave".

"With the younger generation, everyone can weigh up with a doctor whether they want to be vaccinated with Astrazeneca," said Spahn, referring to the 2.2 million people under 60 who have already received their first vaccination with the Astrazeneca agent.

The risk of thromboembolic side effects is "statistically low but should be taken seriously", said Spahn.

However, it remains unclear how exactly it will proceed with the persons concerned.

However, every person vaccinated for the first time will receive a vaccination offer that leads to "full protection", as Spahn explained.

"Vaccination is almost always the better decision", so the appeal of the Federal Minister of Health.

Corona: Health ministers of the federal states follow Stiko on Astrazeneca recommendation

Update from March 30, 8:48 p.m.:

After the decision of the federal and state health ministers on Tuesday evening to follow the Stiko recommendation and stop the Astrazeneca vaccinations for people under 60 years of age, the next decision is already waiting.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn met with the Prime Ministers of the federal states on Tuesday and presented the results in a press conference during the evening.

Update from March 30th, 7:55 p.m.:

After the recommendation for the Astrazeneca vaccinations was changed by the Standing Vaccination Commission, the federal and state health ministers followed suit.

According to a decision, the controversial vaccine will only be used for people aged 60 and over from Wednesday.

According to the decision, 60-year-olds should be able to continue to be vaccinated with the Astrazeneca agent "at the discretion of the doctor and in the case of an individual risk analysis after careful explanation".

The dpa reported on Tuesday evening.

Update from March 30th, 6:50 p.m.:

On Tuesday evening, the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) at the Robert Koch Institute announced its recommendations after the partial stop of Astrazeneca vaccinations.

Accordingly, the corona vaccine should only be administered to people aged 60 and over.

The reason for this is the occurrence of "rare but very severe thromboembolic side effects".

These occurred four to 16 days after vaccination, especially in people under 60 who were vaccinated.

However, it is still unclear how the second vaccination of people who have already received their first dose will continue.

A declaration in this regard will follow by the end of April, as Stiko announced.

The first second vaccinations are planned at the beginning of May at the recommended vaccination interval of twelve weeks.

Only 767 people in Germany received the second vaccination with Astrazeneca, whereas almost 2.7 million people received the first vaccination.

Berlin, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia decided even before the official Stiko recommendation to stop the vaccine in younger age groups

(see update from March 30th, 5.40 p.m.)

.

The federal and state health ministers will also discuss how to proceed with the Astrazeneca vaccine on Tuesday evening.

Corona: Third federal state suspends Astrazeneca vaccinations for under 60-year-olds - Stiko recommendation is still pending

Update from March 30th, 5.40 p.m.:

After Berlin, Munich and Brandenburg, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is also reacting to the Stiko recommendation.

An immediate vaccination stop for the active ingredient of Astrazeneca for men and women under the age of 60 was therefore issued.

This was announced by a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health on Tuesday upon request.

Update from March 30th, 4:35 p.m.:

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) will be discussing with the Prime Ministers of the federal states at short notice on this Tuesday about the further procedure in connection with the Astrazeneca corona vaccine.

In the afternoon, the Federal Press Office announced a press conference for the evening - following an "information meeting with the heads of government of the federal states on the further use of the Astrazeneca vaccine".

The Federal Ministry of Health previously announced in Berlin that Spahn wanted to make a proposal to his country colleagues on how to proceed.

The federal and state health

ministers should therefore hold

a special meeting on Tuesday evening from 6 p.m. on how to deal with the Astrazeneca vaccine

(see update from March 30, 2:38 p.m.)

.

Corona: The next federal state suspends Astrazeneca vaccinations for under 60-year-olds

Update from March 30, 4:05 p.m.:

In addition to Berlin and Munich, Brandenburg is also suspending corona vaccinations with the Astrazeneca vaccine for people under 60 for the time being.

The stop will apply from Tuesday and the decision has been coordinated with the vaccination logistics staff, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health.

The district of Heinsberg also announced on Tuesday that women under the age of 55 are now vaccinating without exception with the corona vaccine from Biontech.

In coordination with the crisis team and the medical management of the vaccination center, the health department decided that the vaccine from the manufacturer Astrazeneca should no longer be vaccinated in women under the age of 55 with immediate effect.

The second vaccinations of this active ingredient would be due from May.

How this is dealt with will be clarified at a later point in time.

Thuringia, on the other hand, does not want to restrict the Astrazeneca vaccinations for the time being.

So far, no clinic is known that has stopped vaccinating with the Astrazeneca vaccine, the Ministry of Health announced to the dpa on Tuesday.

Before taking such a step in the Free State, one wants to wait for the health

ministers

of the federal and state governments to switch to the evening

(see update from March 30, 2:38 p.m.)

.

One does not want to "make quick decisions that may then no longer be valid", it said.

Astrazeneca vaccinations: Standing vaccination committee probably changes recommendation

Update from March 30, 3:35 p.m.:

The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) should only recommend corona vaccinations with Astrazeneca for women and men over 60 in Germany.

This is reported by the

Augsburger Allgemeine

and refers to a draft resolution by Stiko to update the Covid-19 vaccination recommendation.

Astrazeneca vaccinations for people under the age of 60 should therefore only be possible at the discretion of a doctor.

"On the basis of the currently available, but still limited, evidence and taking into account the current pandemic situation, the Stiko recommends using the Covid-19 Vaccine Astrazeneca for people over the age of 60", quoted the

Augsburger Allgemeine

from the paper.

"Their use below this age limit, however, remains possible at the medical discretion and with individual risk acceptance after careful clarification," it continues.

With regard to a second vaccination dose for younger people who have already received a first vaccination with the Astrazeneca vaccine, the Stiko wants to comment at the end of April.

Until then, studies should be evaluated as to whether a second vaccination is also possible with another corona vaccine.

In addition, the Commission recommends according to the report, to accelerate the number of vaccinations given and to extend the intervals between first and second vaccination, as Karl Lauterbach talking to

Merkur.de

had demanded

(see Update of 30 March, 15:10)

.

Astrazeneca vaccination: Lauterbach advocates vaccination stop

Update from March 30th, 3:10 p.m.:

For SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach, who had long argued against stopping the Astrazeneca vaccine, this is now logical.

"After reviewing the data and arguments, as well as talking to specialists, I agree with a change in the use of the Astrazeneneca vaccine today.

At first I had a different position, but you have to react now.

The risk for younger people and especially for women under 55 is apparently greater than expected, ”said Lauterbach 

Merkur.de *

.

The underlying phenomenon, cerebral vein thrombosis, occurs particularly in younger people.

Women in particular are more often affected.

“It therefore probably makes sense to extend the restriction to all of Germany.

We now need a solution and, if possible, not the one that every federal state has a different regulation, ”said Lauterbach.

A quick shot is not possible now, but two things have to be done: “On the one hand, it is essential to bring the first vaccinations forward and, on the other hand, to check whether we can further extend the vaccination interval between the first and second vaccinations for the Biontech vaccine.

In no case should we change the order of the vaccination priorities. "

Astrazeneca vaccination: Munich also stops vaccinations for people under 60 years of age

Update from March 30, 2:55 p.m.:

In Munich, too, no more people under 60 will be vaccinated with the Astrazeneca corona vaccine until further notice.

"Until the question of possible vaccination complications has been resolved, vaccinations with Astrazeneca for people under 60 years of age will be suspended as a precaution," said the city of Munich on Twitter.

This applies above all to the planned vaccinations in the vaccination center and in the Isar clinic.

The vaccinations in the elderly and service centers could continue.

The Berlin Charité is also extending its vaccination ban from Astrazeneca to all people under 60 years of age.

"We will join Ms. Kalayci's announcement," said Charité spokeswoman Manuela Zingl on Tuesday.

Initially, the Charité had stopped vaccinations only for women under 55 years of age

(see first report)

.

Corona vaccination from Astrazeneca: special meeting of health ministers on Tuesday

Update from March 30, 2:38 p.m.:

The federal and state health

ministers want to hold

a special meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss how to deal with the vaccine from the manufacturer Astrazeneca.

Federal Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) wants to make his country colleagues a proposal on how to proceed, as his department announced in Berlin.

The deliberations are to begin at 6 p.m.

The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) wants to make a new recommendation.

In addition, a current assessment of the Paul Ehrlich Institute is expected, according to Berlin Health Senators Dilek Kalayci (SPD).

In Germany, 31 cases of sinus vein thrombosis after vaccination with the Astrazeneca vaccine are known, as the Paul Ehrlich Institute reported on Tuesday.

By noon on Monday (March 29), 31 cases had been reported to the institute, in 19 of which a platelet deficiency, thrombocytopenia, had also been reported.

Nine people affected died.

With the exception of two cases, according to the Paul Ehrlich Institute, all reports concerned women between the ages of 20 and 63.

The two men were therefore 36 and 57 years old.

According to vaccination rate monitoring by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 2.7 million first vaccinations and 767 second vaccinations with the vaccine from Astrazeneca were carried out up to and including Monday.

Corona vaccination from Astrazeneca: Berlin suspends vaccination for everyone under 60 years of age

Update from March 30th, 1.30 p.m.:

Now the entire state of Berlin is suspending corona vaccinations with the vaccine from the manufacturer Astrazeneca for all people under 60 years of age.

Berlin Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) announced this on Tuesday and referred to new data on side effects.

She called this a "precautionary measure".

Corresponding appointments in vaccination centers will first be canceled, according to Kalayci.

The state now wants to wait for the deliberations at the federal level and statements from experts such as the Paul Ehrlich Institute.

First report from March 30th:

Berlin - The state-owned Berlin clinics Charité and Vivantes are initially stopping the corona vaccinations with the Astrazeneca vaccine for women under 55 years of age.

A spokeswoman confirmed this on Tuesday.

"Although there were no complications in the Charité after vaccinations with Astrazeneca, the Charité wants to act as a precaution and wait for final evaluations," the university clinic told the

Tagesspiegel

.

"This step is necessary from the point of view of the Charité, since further cerebral vein thromboses in women in Germany have become known in the meantime", Charité spokeswoman Manuela Zingl explained the decision to the dpa.

Corona vaccination from Astrazeneca: Charité and Vivantes clinics with vaccination stop for women under 55

The Charité has given around 16,000 first and second vaccinations to its staff during the corona pandemic.

“Astrazeneca accounted for the largest part of this,” Zingl continued.

Since the turn of the year, nurses and doctors in Covid-19 wards at the Charité and Vivantes clinics had initially been vaccinated with the corona vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer *, as

reported by

Tagesspiegel

.

The staff of other wards, most recently also employees remote from the patient, have been vaccinated with Astrazeneca in the past few weeks.

It is initially unclear whether the people who have received a first vaccination with the Astrazeneca vaccine will also receive a second vaccination of the preparation.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the heads of five of the six university hospitals spoke out in favor of temporarily stopping vaccinations of younger women with the active ingredient from Astrazeneca.

The risk of further deaths is too high, according to a joint letter to the federal and state health ministers, which the dpa has received.

Corona vaccination from Astrazeneca: Vaccination stop for young women in the Euskirchen district

On Monday (March 29), the Euskirchen district in North Rhine-Westphalia stopped the Astrazeneca vaccination for women under 55 years of age *.

A 47-year-old woman suffered a sinus vein thrombosis a few days after the vaccination and died.

A 28-year-old woman suffered from such a thrombosis after the vaccination.

According to the district, she is “in a stable condition and is being cared for in a special clinic”.

The relationships are currently still being checked.

On Tuesday (March 30), women in the Euskirchen district who are younger than 55 years did not receive a corona vaccination * with the active ingredient from Astrazeneca.

"Everything else goes on normally," said the district spokesman.

The State Ministry of Health said that the vaccination was suspended, it was "a medical decision that was made on site as a precautionary measure".

Corona vaccine from Astrazeneca: Stiko advises on adapting the vaccination recommendation

All data on possible side effects of vaccines were brought together at the Paul Ehrlich Institute and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) *.

According to information from the ministry, the Standing Vaccination Commission is currently advising "whether, based on the reports of the past 10 days, a new adjustment of the vaccination recommendation is necessary".

After a preventive vaccination stop in Germany, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) spoke out in favor of Astrazeneca's vaccine.

The Paul Ehrlich Institute, the highest vaccination authority in Germany, also followed the recommendation.

The benefit of the vaccination outweighs the severity of a Covid-19 infection.

Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had already brought vaccination privileges into play for young and younger women who have concerns about Astrazeneca vaccinations.

(ph / dpa) * Merkur.de and echo24.de are an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

List of rubric lists: © Michael Matthey / imago