Vaccination recommendation from the STIKO: A lukewarm compromise to the detriment of the children

Well, yes.

On Tuesday, STIKO recommended vaccination against the coronavirus for all children between the ages of five and 11.

What makes you sit up and take notice: She only recommends a single vaccination for children in this age group.

The committee's justification for this step: A very large proportion of five to eleven year olds have already had a corona infection and thus already have a certain level of immune protection, and a single vaccination will then effectively improve it.

But even children who have not yet been ill should only get one vaccination.

Anyone who has not been unsure about child vaccinations up to now is now at the latest, because the STIKO's decision seems like a lukewarm compromise after endless back and forth. If the population has not learned over months that not even two vaccinations, the so-called basic immunization , offers sufficient protection against the omicron variant, and children are now supposed to be satisfied with just one?

As justifications for changing their vaccination recommendation, the committee gives the achievement of basic protection in children, the prevention of quarantines and the avoidance of rare severe courses and secondary diseases.

So far, none of these arguments have been considered necessary reasons for vaccination, either by the associations of paediatricians or by the STIKO.

It was always said that children hardly ever became seriously ill and should simply not be vaccinated so that they could contribute to general protection for the population or take part in social life.

But “basic protection” is exactly that, it is intended to prevent the virus from circulating as well.

Why the experts have now thrown their old views overboard, and that with a milder variant, remains open.

Foresight is something else

Instead, with a view to autumn, STIKO members said that the recommendation had now been changed in order to take precautions for upcoming waves of infection that we are not yet aware of, in order to then go on to say that the question of whether to complete the basic immunization or a booster vaccination for children is necessary, would like to advise again in late summer or if the number of infections increases again.

Why only then?

This point in time may already be too late to really protect the little ones effectively.

Foresight is something else.

In the USA, the booster vaccination for children has just been approved, without restrictions and with the indication that it may have to be discussed again later.

If you want to increase the vaccination rate in the long term and seriously want to protect children through vaccination, then we also need clear, encouraging messages and a really well thought-out strategy.

Incidentally, data for a vaccination in children under five years of age was also recently submitted to both the American and European drug agencies.

Approval in the next few weeks is very likely.

It will be interesting to see what zigzag course, U-turns and surprising (non-) recommendations the STIKO will then leave parents alone in their decision for the best for their children.