BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The immunologist Carsten Watzl currently sees reasons to wait with a fourth corona vaccination for vaccines adapted to the omicron variant. “Since the adapted vaccines will hopefully come next month, you can now wait if you have not yet had the fourth vaccination,” said the Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday). “Vaccination with the adapted vaccines will once again enhance immunity to omicrons and they will likely provide some protection against infection as well.”
Watzl explained that if you are now being vaccinated for the fourth time with the previous vaccines, you should wait at least three to six months before the next vaccination. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) recently said that he was expecting four new, adapted vaccines in the fall with approval on September 9th at the earliest.
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), which is responsible for vaccination recommendations in Germany, has so far only recommended a second booster for people over the age of 70 and some risk groups. Leading EU authorities, on the other hand, had spoken out in favor of a fourth corona vaccination for everyone over 60. Lauterbach, in turn, promotes four vaccinations on a broader front – after consultation with the doctor./sku/DP/jha