Refreshing corona vaccinations
European Medicines Agency recommends 3rd vaccination
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With a view to new studies, the European Medicines Agency recommends booster vaccination with the vaccine from BioNTech / Pfizer.
Healthy people should have a booster vaccination six months after their second vaccination against the coronavirus – this is now recommended by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in a communication. It is currently advisable to refresh with these so-called booster shots with the vaccine from BioNTech / Pfizer. A refresher recommendation could also be made for the vaccine from Moderna in the near future; the EMA is currently evaluating data on this.
Immunocompromised people called for faster third-party vaccinations
In its communication, the EMA also places a special focus on immunocompromised people. The authority recommends this a third dose of BioNTech / Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least 28 days apart from the second dose. The reason: The evaluation of studies has shown that the formation of antibodies is improved by a third vaccination, for example in patients after an organ transplant.
Third vaccination side effects?
It is not yet clear whether a third vaccination could lead to side effects such as inflammatory heart disease in healthy people aged 18 and over. The EMA says it is closely monitoring relevant data on all vaccines.
What speaks in favor of a third vaccination – and what against it?
The recommendations of the EMA are aimed at all member states of the European Union, but whether the booster shots are actually offered is at the discretion of the individual countries. Those who advocate the third vaccination argue that it provides greater protection against infection – Initial studies show that the initially high effectiveness against the coronavirus of the vaccines wears off over time. For example, BioNTech / Pfizer stated that the effectiveness of its vaccine decreased by six percent about every eight weeks.
Critics, on the other hand, argue that the vaccines must first be made available to people who have not yet been vaccinated, for example in developing countries. Only then can the third vaccination also be recommended for healthy adults in Western countries with a clear conscience.
Sources: Communication from EMA, tagesschau.de, stern.de