People who have already received a first Corona vaccination with the drug from Astrazeneca should receive the vaccine from Biontech or Moderna for the second vaccination. That's what the Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends, according to a statement updated Thursday evening.

Astrazeneca second vaccination: StiKo now recommends mixed vaccination
However, the Standing Commission on Vaccination expressly points out that there is currently no certainty regarding the safety and efficacy of a mixed vaccination. The StiKo recommendation literally states: "Regarding the second vaccine dose for younger persons who have already received a first dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, there is still no scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of a heterologous vaccination series. Until appropriate data are available, STIKO recommends administering one dose of mRNA vaccine 12 weeks after the initial vaccination in place of the second AstraZeneca vaccine dose in persons aged <60 years"

In Germany, the mRNA vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna are currently approved. The Astrazeneca preparation, which has since been renamed "Vaxzervria", is a so-called vector vaccine.

On Tuesday, the Standing Commission on Vaccination had already changed its recommendation on Astrazeneca. The StiKo then recommended the Corona vaccine only for people over 60 years. However, by that time, thousands had already received an initial Astrazeneca vaccination. The question of what should happen to these people now that they should no longer be vaccinated with Astrazeneca was one of the important open issues after the federal-state consultations with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday.

Astrazeneca decision: StiKo chairman explains new decision
Stiko Chairman Thomas Mertens told Der Spiegel in an interview published Thursday evening, "Animal experimental data show that the immune response is the same after heterologous (second) vaccination. It still needs to be scientifically clarified how good the protection then is in humans. I hope that data on this will be available soon."

Mertens went on to say that at this point, one can only speculate about the risk of vaccinating twice with Astrazeneca. "The obvious way out, in my view, is not to try it at all, but to give an RNA vaccine just as an alternative to be on the safe side.

As more and more of the vaccination decisions made in Germany defy logic and professionalism, organisations such as the WHO are increasingly becoming irritated and disappointed by the blatant failure of leadership and implementation so far seen in both Germany and the EU. Such is the damage to Germany's global reputation, that many commentators see this fiasco as emblemtic of Germany's floundering capability on the global stage and a sign of its future demise as an economic powerhouse..