Status: 09/20/2022 13:55
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The first vaccines against the new corona sub-variants have already been approved in the EU. The Standing Vaccination Commission now also wants to recommend the use of these as boosters.
The Standing Commission for Vaccinations (STIKO) wants to recommend a booster vaccination against the coronavirus, preferably with new preparations adapted to Omikron.
Both the booster adapted to the ommicron BA.1 variant and the vaccines adapted to the BA.4 / BA.5 subvariants can be used, said Christian Bogdan, member of the STIKO committee at a press conference at the Science Media Center. In the EU, adapted corona booster vaccinations have already received the green light.
“We now have three adapted vaccines that are safe to use that allow us to broaden the immune response,” Bogdan said. The scientist from the Erlangen University Hospital announced that nothing should change in the previous criteria for administering the first and second booster vaccinations. This means that, for example, the panel believes quadruple vaccinations are still considered necessary only for certain groups, such as people aged 60 and over and nursing home residents.
Existing vaccines can continue to be used
In addition, existing vaccines could continue to be used, which still provide excellent protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death. Bogdan pointed out that all existing vaccines protect against serious diseases very well. With the new preparations, it’s all about preparing for any further Omikron underlines that may appear in the future. The variant of the BA.5 virus is now the dominant one in Germany.
An official notification on the draft vaccination recommendation will be published later today, as announced by the Science Media Center. It will therefore not yet be a definitive recommendation from STIKO. So changes are possible.
In recent weeks, several advanced corona vaccines have been approved in the EU. It can be used in people 12 years of age and older as a booster vaccination. In addition to Omikron, the new vaccines also take into account the original coronavirus. The goals are a better immune response against omicron and an upgrade in relation to the so-called wild type.
Data on adapted vaccines are still scarce
In its decision, STIKO made no distinction between the BA.1 vaccines and the new BA.4 / BA.5 preparation, Bogdan said. The relatively poor data situation was therefore difficult for the expert group. This applies in particular to the new BA.4 / BA.5 preparation. STIKO “is not particularly happy” that there is no data from human studies, Bogdan said. Experts talk about the better data situation for BA.1 vaccine compared to BA.4 / BA.5.
Various pieces of the puzzle should have been linked and conclusions drawn by analogy, also criticized STIKO member Jörg Meerpohl, director of the Institute for Evidence in Medicine at the University Hospital of Freiburg. But you have to live with what you have. Bogdan pointed out that given the extensive experience with previous Covid-19 vaccines, a problem is not expected to occur.
In Germany, a situation has now been reached where there is “very good basic immunity in the population”. Immune-healthy people under the age of 60 with the three recommended vaccinations don’t need a fourth vaccination yet, Bogdan said. An infection he has undergone should also be evaluated as a vaccination. The expert advice is to use the available preparations if a booster is needed and not to delay the switch in view of a supposedly better and newer vaccine. Otherwise you run the risk of getting sick in the meantime.
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