Darrick Robles 1. Who is recommended a booster vaccination?
The STIKO (Standing Vaccination Committee) recommends the booster vaccination for everyone aged 12 and over whose second corona vaccination or recovery from a Covid 19 infection was at least 3 months ago.
In addition, all vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson should receive an optimization vaccination with an mRNA vaccine. Most vaccine breakthroughs have been observed with this vaccine. After 3 months, the booster should be done with Moderna or BioNTech.
Vaccination protection can quickly decrease, especially in older people and people with previous illnesses. A third corona vaccination stimulates the body’s immune response again and improves the protective effect.
The principle of the booster vaccination has been around for a long time. Regular booster vaccinations are also necessary for other pathogens (e.g. tetanus or polio) in order to maintain immune protection.
2. Why should I get boosted?
The vaccination protection against corona decreases over time. Research shows that the longer it has been since vaccination (or recovery), the greater the risk of contracting Covid-19.
A Swedish study (preprint) evaluated the data from more than 800,000 fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people and came to the conclusion that protection against severe Covid 19 disease decreases sharply after a few months (from initially 89 percent to 42 percent after 6 months). This also means that the risk of vaccine breakthroughs increases over time .
According to a study from Israel , in which more than 700,000 vaccinated people took part, a booster vaccination offers good protection against corona infection and a severe course of the disease.
The booster vaccination not only protects you from a severe course of the disease , it also reduces the viral load and infectivity. This reduces the risk of infecting others, even if you carry the corona virus in you. This applies in particular to vulnerable groups of people who have a weaker immune response and a higher risk of hospitalization.
Why are vaccinations so important to society? You can find more information here.
3. Are booster shots effective against the omicron variant?
Although there are still many unanswered questions about Omikron , experts agree that a booster vaccination should offer additional protection against the variant.
It’s helpful to remember that the vaccines were more effective than expected in the first place. “The vaccines we started with have shown excellent – even amazing – protection. Even if the protection decreases a bit, the booster vaccination still protects against severe disease progression,” says Med-Healths doctor Dr. alaeus
4. Is a new vaccine against Omicron being developed?
“While we are able to produce mRNA vaccines against certain variants, the production and manufacture of these vaccines takes time,” says Dr. Alaeus.
There are discussions about making a vaccine “cocktail” that targets multiple variants, including Omicron. But it’s too early to know if we’ll need it. For now, the available booster is still the one best approach.
5. Do I need the booster to continue to be considered fully vaccinated?
A new, uniform regulation will apply to all EU countries from February 1, 2022: Your digital EU vaccination certificate is only valid for 270 days (approx. 9 months) without a booster. How long the certificate is valid after a booster vaccination has not yet been determined (as of February 1, 2022).
6. What vaccines are used?
The mRNA vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna are used for the booster vaccination . Even if you previously received a vector vaccine (AstraZeneca or Janssen), you will be offered BioNTech/Pfizer or Moderna on the third vaccination. BioNTech vaccination is recommended for anyone under the age of 30, and those over 30 can receive Moderne or BioNTech.
If possible, the same mRNA vaccine should be used as for the first two vaccinations. However, if you have been vaccinated with, for example, BionTech/Pfizer and that vaccine is not available at the time of the booster, you may be offered the Moderna vaccine. This is recommended by STIKO for everyone over 30.
Here you will find an overview of how the mRNA vaccines work.
7. Can the booster vaccination have side effects?
With a booster vaccination, reactions similar to those after the first and/or second dose are possible. In the USA, many people have already been vaccinated for the third time. According to the FDA, the most common vaccine reactions include:
- pain at the injection site
- fatigue
- Muscle aches
- headache
- Fever
These symptoms usually last only 1 to 2 days, are part of the body’s normal immune response and are therefore harmless. You can read more about possible vaccination reactions after a corona vaccination here.
One speaks of side effects of a vaccination when symptoms occur from 4 to 16 days after the vaccination. If you experience side effects, you should get medical help and officially report it using a form .
8. Where can I get vaccinated for the third time?
You can get your third corona vaccination from your family doctor, the company doctor or in a specialist practice. But you can also get the booster from mobile vaccination teams or in vaccination centers. In many medical practices and vaccination centers you can get an appointment immediately or even come by without Temrin. There is currently enough vaccine available from BioNTech and Moderna.
9. Does the corona vaccination affect my cycle?
Some women report an irregular menstrual cycle, late periods or heavier bleeding after the corona vaccination. A recent 2022 study , using data from a period-tracking app, confirms that the Covid-19 vaccine can affect menstrual cycle length . However, the effects are small and temporary.
The study analyzed the cycles of nearly 4,000 US participants. A majority of the vaccinated cohort had received the vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer (55%) (Moderna 35%, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen 7%).
Those who received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine during their menstrual cycle have seen a slight increase in cycle length (a longer time between bleeding) by just over half a day. The changes returned to normal in the next cycle.
The vaccine does not appear to affect the length of the period (the length of bleeding). Whether the vaccination also affects other symptoms, such as the severity of bleeding or menstrual cramps, needs to be researched further.
Changes in the menstrual cycle are common and can sometimes be an indication of stress or lifestyle changes. Cycle shifts also often occur after infections . Research is not yet able to say for sure why there may be minor changes as a result of vaccination, but it is likely that these will only be temporary.
10. Where can I get more information?
Current and reliable information on the booster vaccination against Corona can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health and on the FAQ page of the Robert Koch Institute .
You can also use our video vaccination consultation to speak directly to a doctor and get individual advice. Clarify all your questions about booster vaccinations from the comfort of your own home.
