Once, twice, three times and a fourth time? Currently, many people are concerned if and when a fourth corona vaccination is necessary for everyone. Because developments are currently going in different directions: some countries, including the US and Germany, are moving forward with recommendations and approvals. Austria is still cautious.
Seniors and people at high risk
“At this time, additional vaccination is not generally recommended for immunocompetent people,” says the National Vaccination Panel.
Taking into account the epidemiological situation with a high number of daily cases and high circulation of the virus, people at high risk and people over 65 years of age, for whom a shorter duration of vaccine protection is expected, “at least from 6 months after the 3rd vaccination after an individual risk-benefit assessment by the doctor and at personal request (off-label) a new vaccination can be offered”.
Vaccination specialist Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt, from MedUni Vienna, also says in an interview with ORF that a fourth vaccination against Covid-19 is currently not necessary for wide swaths of the population. A fourth vaccination makes sense for people over age 65 and people with weakened immune systems, “because you have to assume that these three immunizations do not provide permanent or good protection.” According to the expert, the fourth vaccination in Austria would not make sense for many until the autumn.
Recommendation in the USA
Meanwhile, the American cardiologist Eric Topol, on his website, advocates the second booster dose for people over 50 who tolerated the previous doses well, whose third dose was more than four to six months ago and who live in a dispersion area BA.2. In his opinion, the fourth point would also be advisable before traveling or other plans that could increase the risk of infection.
As it became known on Tuesday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved a second booster vaccination for adults over 50 and people with weakened immune systems. Persons over age 50 and immunocompromised persons over age 12 can now receive a second booster vaccination given at least four months after the first booster vaccination. About 97 million people in the United States, a country of about 330 million people, have received a booster so far.
Lauterbach is promoting the fourth point
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is also promoting a fourth corona vaccination for everyone over 60 across the EU. “We must not forget that the Covid pandemic is not over in Europe. We have a very high number of cases, unfortunately we also have a very high number of deaths,” the SPD politician said on Tuesday on the sidelines of consultations with his EU colleagues. in Brussels.