The federal and state health ministers decided at the beginning of August that third-party vaccinations should further improve protection against corona infections.
How this resolution is to be implemented in practice is largely unclear.
Peißenberg
- The rush at the Peißenberg vaccination center has increased noticeably in the past few days, reports its director Christian Achmüller in an interview with the local newspaper. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that there were significantly more second vaccinations this week than before. But also the resolutions of the Prime Minister's Conference a few days ago, from which it can be clearly deduced that it will be much more uncomfortable for unvaccinated people in the future, are showing their effect, according to him.
“It's nice that there is more life in the booth,” says Achmüller. However, it is still not certain that Peißenberg will host the vaccination center beyond the end of September. We are "in good negotiations with the district," says Achmüller. "On the home straight" is the question of whether the Johanniter should operate the vaccination center until the end of April 2022. But in the end nothing has been signed yet. “We should know by the end of September at the latest, when the current contract expires,” says Achmüller. But he leaves no doubt that he would clearly prefer it if the negotiations don't drag on for that long.
Because there are still great challenges waiting for the employees of the vaccination center. More and more people are getting in touch and asking about the third-party vaccinations that have been decided. The first e-mails are also being received by the editorial staff on this matter. Our reader Friedl Gößmann writes: “Contrary to the reports that over 80 year olds can get the third vaccination if the second vaccination was six months ago, this is currently not possible. Neither the family doctor nor the vaccination center in Peißenberg can currently administer the third-party vaccination because there are no corresponding instructions. Yesterday I tried in vain to get a third vaccination appointment for my husband. "
Achmüller confirmed this in an interview with the local newspaper: “The instruction to carry out third-party vaccinations exists. But that's all we have. ”There is neither the appropriate information sheet nor a way to document the third-party vaccinations. “We can't work like that,” says Achmüller.
In any case, many questions are unanswered. First and foremost, whether everyone really needs a booster vaccination. “I would advise you to consult your family doctor. It would make sense to first do a test to determine whether there are enough antibodies against a Covid infection in the blood before carrying out a third vaccination around 13 euros in a manageable framework. If it then shows that a third vaccination is really necessary, you can have it administered. Achmüller also made it clear that the vaccination center has not yet planned to offer third-party vaccinations for "walk-in customers". "We should take care of the third-party vaccinations in the care facilities,all others should be handled by the doctor's office, ”says the head of the vaccination center in Peißenberg.
When it comes to the question of which vaccine should be used with which original vaccine combination for a third vaccination, he says there is still no concrete information.
"So far it has only been certain that there should be at least six months between the second and third vaccination," says Achmüller.
Patients who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which required only one dose for full protection, could also receive a booster dose after six months.
Only mRNA vaccines, i.e. the vaccines from Biontech-Pfizer or Moderna, are to be used for the third-party vaccinations.
But when which vaccine is recommended, "so far there are no studies", says Achmüller.
He therefore advises to wait a little longer until there are precise recommendations for action.
