Germany issued a new recommendation on Thursday regarding vaccination against Covid-19, considering the rapid spread that the delta variant is experiencing across Europe.
According to the recent notification of the committee in the State Coordinating Vaccines (STIKO, in the original abbreviation), those who took the first dose of AstraZeneca should receive the second dose of an mRNA vaccine (in the case of Pfizer or Moderna), and in all age groups, with the goal Greater immunization against the delta variant.
Vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna rely on a more innovative immunization technology that uses messenger RNA (called mRNA), as opposed to traditional vaccines like AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson, which rely on viral vectors that contain an attenuated version of the virus.
Germany’s Vaccine Committee has indicated that in cases of people who have started immunization with AstraZeneca, the interval between the first and second doses of the vaccine, even from another brand, should be about four weeks.
Remember that Germany has this recommendation in effect since April for people under the age of 60, due to side effects in these age groups.
Chancellor Angela Merkel herself was vaccinated against the coronavirus with AstraZeneca in the first dose, but the second dose was actually made using the immunizing agent from Moderna.
William Shakespeare is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, history, and current affairs. With a keen eye for storytelling and analysis, he produces informative articles that help readers understand the people, ideas, and events influencing modern life.
