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Fourth corona vaccination: For whom the second booster makes sense

2022-03-26T06:17:52.013Z


Fourth corona vaccination: For whom the second booster makes sense Created: 03/26/2022, 07:08 By: Kai Hartwig The offer of a fourth corona vaccination for everyone is currently being discussed. © Sebastian Gollnow/dpa Rising corona numbers are fueling the discussion about a fourth corona vaccination for everyone. The virologists Streeck and Drosten position themselves clearly. Munich – The nu


Fourth corona vaccination: For whom the second booster makes sense

Created: 03/26/2022, 07:08

By: Kai Hartwig

The offer of a fourth corona vaccination for everyone is currently being discussed.

© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

Rising corona numbers are fueling the discussion about a fourth corona vaccination for everyone.

The virologists Streeck and Drosten position themselves clearly.

Munich – The number of new corona infections in Germany has been at a consistently high level for weeks.

On Thursday (March 24), the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported over 300,000 new cases in one day for the first time.

Despite the omicron wave and high corona numbers, easing should take effect by the beginning of April at the latest - at first glance that sounds like a risky plan.

Many German citizens should be happy about the elimination of many restrictions.

Fourth corona vaccination: So far only recommended for risk groups

But even vaccinated people will have thought about whether the booster vaccination will get you through the omicron wave safely and protect you sufficiently against infection with the corona virus.

After all, it is already a few months behind for many vaccinated people.

Does the booster effect wear off so much that another booster vaccination is needed?

The option of a fourth corona vaccination - the second booster, so to speak - for everyone has been around for a long time.

At the moment (as of March 25), the Stiko's recommendation only provides this for certain parts of the population:

  • people over 70 years of age

  • Residents and caregivers in nursing homes

  • Persons with an increased risk of a severe course of the disease in integration assistance facilities (e.g. residential homes, day care centers and workshops for disabled people)

  • People from the age of five who suffer from an immune deficiency

  • Employees in medical and nursing facilities, especially those with direct patient contact

The Stiko recommends a second booster vaccination for those over 70 years of age, residents and carers in care facilities and immunodeficient people no earlier than three months after the first booster.

In the case of people with medical professions or a job in care facilities, it is even six months later.

So far, the committee has refrained from expanding to a fourth vaccination for everyone.

Corona: Minister of Health Lauterbach wants to “deal more aggressively with the fourth vaccination”

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach was concerned on Friday (March 25) in Berlin.

Less than ten percent of those to whom the Stiko recommends the second booster have been vaccinated a fourth time, the SPD politician warned.

And demanded, based on the low vaccination rate of the risk group: "We have to be more aggressive with the fourth vaccination."

Lauterbach advocated an extension of the Stiko recommendation regarding a fourth corona vaccination.

The Minister of Health would also like to include the 60-70 age group.

Fourth corona vaccination: Virologists Streeck and Drosten support Stiko’s assessment

Meanwhile, experts also support Stiko's assessment that the fourth vaccination is only recommended for people and professional groups who are particularly at risk.

"The immune responses are exhausted at some point," said virologist Hendrik Streeck on

n-tv

.

Like Lauterbach, Streeck advocated a second booster for people over the age of 60, as they may have a poorer immune response.

According to the current state of knowledge, Streeck's colleague Christian Drosten also believes that a fourth vaccination is not necessary for people who do not belong to any of the risk groups mentioned.

"The ideal immunization is that you have a complete vaccine immunization with three doses and on the basis of this immunization you are then infected with the virus for the first and second and third time and that you develop mucosal immunity as a result without having to accept severe courses “, explained the virologist in his

NDR

podcast.

Fourth corona vaccination for everyone?

A study from Israel sees a rather small effect

These opinions are also based on data from Israel, which is considered a pioneer in vaccination.

An Israeli study was published in the

New England Journal of Medicine

.

Four months after the first booster vaccination, 274 study participants who worked at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv were revaccinated with the Corona vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer or Moderna.

The values ​​of the double-boosted people were compared with those of a group of triple-vaccinated people.

The study came to the conclusion that a fourth vaccination improves protection against infection with omicron only slightly.

Four Biontech shots meant a 30 percent lower risk of becoming infected than was the case with those who were vaccinated with three doses.

With a fourth vaccination dose of Moderna, the risk of infection was only 18 percent lower than that of those who had been vaccinated three times.

(kh)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-03-26

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