The manufacturer Moderna should initially deliver 1.65 million doses of BA.1 vaccine in the first week and 2.38 million doses in the second week.
(Photo: IMAGO/Sylvio Dittrich)
Berlin At the start of the vaccines adapted to the Omicron variant BA.1, medical practices in Germany ordered significantly fewer doses than would have been possible with the deliveries from the manufacturers.
Overall, the practices ordered more than 1.6 million doses of the new vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna. This was announced by the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance Physician Care (ZI) to the Handelsblatt.
Specifically, around 23,500 practices ordered almost 225,000 vials of the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine, which corresponds to around 1.35 million doses. Around 3,500 practices ordered almost 55,000 vials of the new Moderna vaccine, which is around 275,000 doses.
Ordering the adapted vaccine was possible for the first time this week. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced last week that Germany would receive five million doses of the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer in the two weeks starting September 5th. The manufacturer Moderna should initially deliver 1.65 million doses of BA.1 vaccine in the first week and 2.38 million doses in the second week.
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The cans ordered are therefore below the quantities supplied by the manufacturers. However, according to ZI, the practices ordered six times more vaccine than in the previous week. “The contract doctors take the call seriously to refresh the vaccination protection of those who want to be vaccinated with a view to autumn,” said ZI boss Dominik Stillfried to the Handelsblatt. They would prioritize people at increased risk as recommended by the Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko). The ordered supplies are to be delivered to the doctor’s offices in the week of September 5th and the following week.
Omicron vaccines: waiting for adjusted Stiko recommendation
At the moment, however, the demand for vaccinations from patients is “naturally low, also due to the millions of infections from the last wave,” he explained. “In addition, it is still quite early at the beginning of September for a vaccination that should protect until spring.” It will have to be seen how the willingness of risk patients to be vaccinated can be stimulated in the next few weeks.
The federal government hopes that the new vaccines will give new impetus to the vaccination campaign, which has come to a virtual standstill.
(Photo: IMAGO/Political Moments)
The federal government hopes that the new vaccines will give new impetus to the vaccination campaign, which has come to a virtual standstill. An average of 18,000 people are currently being vaccinated every day, compared to around 1.6 million people at the peak in December last year. In the age group of people over 60 years, only around 30 percent have received a second booster vaccination.
The European regulatory authority Ema approved the vaccines last week. However, an updated recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) is not yet available. Lauterbach had explained that the commission was “very intensively” dealing with the study data and wanted to present a recommendation in a timely manner. The Stiko is currently recommending a fourth vaccination for all people over the age of 60 and therefore not waiting for the new vaccines.
One reason for the reluctance could also be that many people are waiting for the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine adapted to the BA.4 and BA.5 variants, whose approval by the Ema authority is expected at the end of September or beginning of October.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, Germany should then be supplied with a first tranche of 9.5 million cans. The BA.5 variant currently dominates in Germany.
More: New Omicron vaccines are coming – Who could now be vaccinated with which vaccine.