The Robert Koch Institute is calling on millions of people to get a booster vaccination. In the case of the omicron variant, this would prevent treatment in the hospital to a large extent. The appeal affects more than nine million people in Germany.
In view of the good protective effect of corona booster vaccinations against severe courses even in Omicron times, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) sees a further need for vaccination among millions of people. “In addition to starting vaccinations for the unvaccinated, there is also a need to close vaccination gaps for those who have only been immunized so far,” says a new monthly report on Covid 19 vaccinations by an RKI team. “Around 1.3 million people aged 60 and over and around 7.9 million people aged 18 to 59 would still have to refresh their vaccination protection with at least one vaccination.” Around 7.3 million adults under the age of 60 and 1.9 million over the age of 60 have not yet received a vaccination.
According to the report, there has recently been a change in the corona vaccination rate in Germany, mainly with the second booster vaccination for older people. However, according to data by the end of March, the majority of nursing home residents had not yet received a second booster vaccination, it said. Initial vaccinations were given the least.
The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends a second booster shot for some groups, including people with suppressed immune systems, nursing home residents, people aged 70 and over, and medical facility staff.
The RKI experts confirm that booster vaccinations are generally highly effective against admission to the hospital because of Corona. The incidence of hospital admissions due to Covid-19 has generally decreased in the omicron wave. Recently, however, it was highest in all age groups in the unvaccinated population.
For a period of several weeks in April and May 2022, the risk of being treated in a hospital for Covid-19 for unvaccinated people was almost seven times higher for 12 to 17 year olds, almost four times higher for 18 to 59 year olds and for humans over 60 nine-fold compared to people with a booster dose. The latter included people for whom at least three doses of a Covid 19 vaccine were indicated. Specifically, according to current monitoring as of the beginning of July, a good 85 percent of the adult population is basic immunized, almost 72 percent have received a first booster vaccination, and a good eight percent have received a second one.
The paper includes information on vaccination rates, vaccination effectiveness, vaccination acceptance as well as the current recommendations of the STIKO and overviews of the results of international studies. The paper will be updated monthly in the future. In the past, some of this information had been compiled in the Corona weekly report, but now it is intended to give a compact overview of Covid 19 vaccination in an expanded form, it said.
