In its current recommendations, the National Vaccination Committee has emphasized that three vaccinations are necessary for the basic immunization. This is regardless of whether you have been infected with the corona virus or not. The omicron variant has different immunological properties than the previous virus variants. Therefore, an infection with an earlier variant cannot replace a vaccination in the primary immunization.
A third vaccination increases the protective effect significantly, since the immune system is improved with each individual vaccination, emphasizes Medical Association President Burkhard Walla. He emphasizes that we have to live with the corona virus and that there will almost certainly be a summer wave and an autumn wave. There are around 70,000 people in Vorarlberg who have not received all three vaccinations.
“Do not provoke infection”
Armin Fidler, Covid advisor to the state government, also appeals to the population to be vaccinated three times and refers to current study data. According to this, a pure infection offers effective protection of 46.1 percent, the effectiveness of three vaccinations is 52.2 percent.
You have even better protection if you have both an infection and a vaccination, says Fidler. If you survive an infection and have been vaccinated twice, the effective protection is 55.1 percent. The third vaccination increases this value to 77.3 percent.
Robert Spiegel, CoV representative of the medical association, advises against provoking an infection with the omicron variant. Intentional infection only significantly increases the risk of contracting Long Covid.
“Fourth vaccination in summer makes sense”
The fourth stitch is already recommended for people over the age of 65 and patients at risk if the primary immunization was more than six months ago. The booster vaccination could increase protection by ten more weeks and significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization.
A fourth vaccination in the summer makes sense to reduce the risk of infection, according to State Medical Director Wolfgang Grabher. Another vaccination in autumn would not be a problem for the immune system. However, there should be a gap of at least four months between the two vaccinations.
Vaccinations in nursing homes will begin in July
Vaccination appointments are offered in the nursing homes in July. The booster vaccinations will then be offered to the general public in the fall. The current plan provides that there will be sufficient vaccination options from mid-October. It is still unclear whether there will be a new vaccine.
According to Fidler, the data situation is constantly changing due to new scientific findings. But even if the virus develops quickly, the existing vaccines would provide sufficient protection.