Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) expects corona vaccines that are adapted to the omicron variants in autumn.
He doesn't expect it until September at the earliest, he said on Thursday on Deutschlandfunk.
This is being worked on intensively.
There is promising data from Moderna, and they are also in contact with Biontech.
He is confident that there will be very good adapted vaccines.
The company Moderna presented the first data on the effectiveness of its adapted corona vaccine on Wednesday.
"mRNA-1273.21", as the booster is called, is a combination of the original Moderna vaccine Spikevax and a vaccine candidate specially tailored to the omicron variant.
In the total of 437 subjects in the clinical study who had received the new preparation as a second booster, the scientists found significantly more neutralizing antibodies after one month than after a booster vaccination with the conventional preparation, especially against the omicron variant.
The vaccination is well tolerated, side effects correspond to those after the conventional booster.
The company announced that it would submit the available data to the regulatory authorities in the coming weeks.
It is hoped that the booster will be available in late summer.
The omicron subline BA.2 currently dominates in Germany, but the proportion of the subvariant BA.5 is growing.
However, Lauterbach called BA.5 "not a particularly dangerous variant", even if it is more contagious than BA.1 and BA.2.
Preparation for fall
The Federal Government's Corona Expert Council had pushed for preparations for autumn and winter on Wednesday and drafted three scenarios for the development of the pandemic.
In the interview, Lauterbach described a scenario with less serious effects as currently the most likely.
It cannot be ruled out that there will be virus variants that are more contagious and dangerous.
"But we all hope not," said Lauterbach.
However, you have to be prepared for it.
The minister mentioned the procurement of vaccines, a vaccination and a test concept and faster data from the hospitals.
“These are things that have to be prepared now.
The Federal Ministry of Health is already working on this.”
“Definitely” the Infection Protection Act must also be changed and extended.
It expires on September 23.
The FDP calls for waiting for the expertise of a committee of experts, which evaluates previous protective measures.
The report should be available by June 30th.
"I can follow that without any ifs or buts," emphasized Lauterbach.
Everyone has the same goal, “to be able to react quickly to the situation with as few restrictions on freedom as possible”.
"We have a duty there, and that's exactly what will happen," emphasized the minister.