Opinions differ not only in the traffic light coalition when it comes to the fourth vaccination.

It has also met with fierce criticism from professionals.

So far, according to the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO), the fourth corona vaccination is only recommended for people over 70 and some risk groups.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has now called for a clear recommendation for all age groups.

At the latest when the new vaccines adapted to the Omicron variant are available, "there should also be clear announcements for the under-60s," Lauterbach told the newspapers of the Funke media group.

Heike Schmoll

Political correspondent in Berlin, responsible for “Bildungswelten”.

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Kim Bjorn Becker

Editor in Politics.

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Although Lauterbach and the chairman of STIKO, Thomas Mertens, had just commented in July on the establishment of a pandemic working group in the ministry for better coordination, he went public with his different opinion.

At the request of the FAZ, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health said on Sunday about the STIKO recommendations: "The minister is in regular good contact with the STIKO." His statements should be understood in such a way that the STIKO is heading towards autumn and with regard to the new vaccines take up the topic and make appropriate vaccination statements.

Discussions about this are ongoing.

Nevertheless, the ministry said it had to assure: “STIKO is and will remain an independent body.” Lauterbach’s statements met with sharp criticism a few days after the draft for the new Infection Protection Act was presented.

Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) considers the draft to be unacceptable.

He takes issue with the planned rules for visiting restaurants, bars and cultural institutions.

There, the countries should be able to prescribe wearing an FFP2 mask or a current test - unless the visitors have recovered in the past three months or have been vaccinated against Corona. "In any case, I will vehemently advocate that political decision-makers do not soar to make medical specifications," he said.

"Mr. Lauterbach says goodbye to science"

The Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology, Carsten Watzl, told the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag": "We must not give the impression that everyone should be vaccinated every three months." He thinks a fourth vaccination is for healthy people under the age of 70 for unnecessary.

The Vice President of the European Federation of Immunological Societies, Andreas Radbruch, criticized: "Mr. Lauterbach is saying goodbye to science." Always continuing to vaccinate with the same vaccine does not help at all against the virulent infection situation.

Rather, experts point out that the same vaccination can even weaken the immune status.

Lauterbach himself apparently did not protect himself from the fourth vaccination against his current infection.

Doctors in private practice are also reporting more and more significant vaccination effects.