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Berlin (dpa) - The vaccine from Astrazeneca has not had an easy time in Germany: First, due to insufficient data volumes for older people, vaccination is only recommended for younger people, then after suspected cases with very rare side effects there is a temporary vaccination stop for younger people, which is lifted shortly afterwards becomes.

Now, because of these suspected cases, the vaccine should mainly only be used in people aged 60 and over.

What's next with the vaccinations?

How much does that set Germany back when it comes to vaccination?

If you look at the expected delivery quantities for vaccines for the full year 2021, it does not play a mathematical role.

Because even without Astrazeneca, a total of 215 million doses are promised by Biontech / Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna according to an overview by the Federal Ministry of Health on March 22nd.

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But: In the race to spread new virus variants, it is now a question of speed.

Astrazeneca plans to deliver up to 15 million cans from April to June, Biontech / Pfizer 40, Moderna 6.4 and Johnson & Johnson 10 million.

With this considerable share of Astrazeneca, the overall vaccination rate in Germany now depends on how willing the over 60-year-olds are to be vaccinated with it.

If everyone is waiting for appointments with Biontech and Co., it will be tough.

Will the new rules mean that people over the age of 60 will automatically be able to get involved earlier?

How fast it goes depends on the state.

At the moment, in the vaccination sequence, after the over 80 year olds, it is actually the over 70 year olds' turn.

The federal states can now deviate from this at Astrazeneca and also assign current vaccination appointments for people aged 60 and over.

The most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia will do that from Saturday.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are around 10.5 million people between the ages of 60 and 70 in Germany.

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Chancellor Angela Merkel is 66. Will you be

vaccinated

with

Astrazeneca

now

?

Over 60-year-olds should also take advantage of the vaccination offer and could be a role model, said Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) on Tuesday and thus indirectly asked the Chancellor to do so.

When asked about this, she then referred to earlier statements.

She said that when it was her turn she would get vaccinated, "also with Astrazeneca".

«The possibility of getting vaccinated has come closer for me.

That's right, ”added Merkel.

A high-profile vaccination campaign like that of high-ranking politicians in other countries has not yet been announced in Germany.

Is Astra no longer an option for people under 60? 



But.

According to the new specification, the vaccine is now mainly used in people over 60.

If a younger person who is already in the vaccination sequence, for example because he belongs to a certain professional group, decides to do so, he or she can also get Astrazeneca after consultation with the doctor.

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What do I do if I have already received the first vaccination with

Astrazeneca

? 



Over 60-year-olds can also get the second dose of Astrazeneca, according to the Federal Ministry of Health.

Even younger people who have already received the first dose can do so after consulting the vaccinating doctor "and, in the case of an individual risk analysis, after careful explanation".

The second option: wait for an expert recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) at the Robert Koch Institute.

Since the Astra vaccination in Germany started in February and a twelve-week interval between the second dose is recommended, the second spade is not on the calendar for most of them until May.

The Stiko wants to submit an opinion on the second vaccination beforehand, including whether it may be possible to use a different preparation for the second vaccination.

Would that be theoretically possible? 

For a long time, there have been considerations of combining different vaccines for better protection against new virus variants, for example.

For example, to inject a second dose of Biontech / Pfizer onto a first dose of Astrazeneca.

"From a purely immunological point of view, this is not a problem, because they are ultimately based on the same vaccine antigen," said the Erlangen-based infection immunologist Christian Bogdan, a member of the Stiko.

The effectiveness of combinations is currently being investigated in studies.

British researchers, for example, have been testing the vaccine efficacy in a clinical study since the beginning of February when combining Biontech and Astrazeneca in different sequences as the first and second dose.

What exactly is it about the blood clots that are being reported about?

According to the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which is responsible for vaccines, "a very rare form" of thrombosis was observed in "very few people vaccinated", predominantly under 55 years of age after vaccination with Astrazeneca.

It is primarily about so-called cerebral vein thrombosis, also in connection with a lack of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia).

This occurred more frequently among those who had been vaccinated than would be numerically expected due to the rarity of this coagulation disorder without vaccination.

The institute also says, however, that there is currently “no evidence that the occurrence of these coagulation disorders was caused by the vaccine”.

As of Monday, there were 31 suspected cases.

Thrombocytopenia was also reported in 19 cases.

The outcome was fatal in nine cases.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, more than 2.8 million people have now been vaccinated with Astrazeneca at least once.

In total, almost ten million people in the country have received an initial vaccination so far.

More than four million have been vaccinated twice.

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The cases mainly occurred in women, so why should men under 60 no longer be vaccinated with it? 

Almost all suspicious transaction reports involved women between the ages of 20 and 63.

But two cases also involved men aged 36 and 57.

In a draft resolution of the Stiko, which leaked on Tuesday before the new vaccination recommendation, it had said: "Although significantly more women were affected, the Stiko restricts its recommendation for both sexes as a precaution."

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210331-99-44305 / 2

Federal Ministry of Health expected delivery quantities for 2021

F + A Federal Ministry of Health on Astrazeneca