Changes are to be made to the German COVID-19 vaccination program. German Health Minister Jens Spahn and his federal state counterparts are expected to announce vaccination recommendations for children and adolescents aged 12-17 at a press conference on Monday, “Bild am Sonntag” reported. In addition, fully vaccinated elderly people are to receive a third dose.
The government wants the elderly, people in need of care and those with weakened immune systems to be vaccinated for the third time from September. This is the result of a project prepared by the German health minister, which the newspaper found out.
Fully vaccinated people who receive the vectored vaccine (AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson) will be able to receive the third dose of the mRNA vaccine from Pfizer / BioNTech. Mobile immunization teams will be sent to care facilities and retirement homes.
Vaccinations of adolescents
According to the draft, the government in Berlin also recommends vaccinating children and adolescents from 12 to 17 years of age. As a result, 4.5 million people are to receive vaccinations. The nationwide vaccination of children and adolescents has so far aroused controversy. The Standing Immunization Committee (Stiko) has not yet issued a general recommendation for vaccination in people aged 12-17 years, restricting it to those in high-risk groups.
So far, only 20 percent of people in this age group have received the first dose, Jens Spahn said on Twitter. The vaccines from Pfizer / Biontech and Moderna are approved for use in minors, and sufficient doses of the vaccine are currently available.
Children and adolescents should be vaccinated at vaccination sites and by pediatricians and general practitioners, and possibly also by company doctors (as part of vaccinating relatives).
In addition, the federal states want to offer vaccinations to young people, including at universities and schools. “This can make a significant contribution to a safer start to study after the holidays,” wrote the document quoted by “Bild am Sonntag”.
Coronavirus in Germany
Currently, in Germany, about 62 percent of the population has received at least one dose, and 52 percent are fully vaccinated. Among those under the age of 18, about 20 percent have received at least one dose, and less than 10 percent are fully immunized.
Institute of Robert Koch informed on Sunday about 2,097 new, confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. One person infected with the coronavirus has died.
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