Germany discusses opening up AstraZeneca vaccination to all age groups

Germany analyzes the opening of vaccination with AstraZeneca to all groups, as part of the accelerated campaign launched in recent weeks and with the aim of all adults are vaccinated in July.

The German Minister of Health, Jens Spahn, will address this Thursday to the health officials of the 16 “Länder” (Länder) release of AstraZeneca from the order of precedence. The Anglo-Swedish drug has become widely administered only those over 60 from the end of March, due to the risk of cerebral thrombosis especially in young women.

In mid-April, the possibility of applying it also to minors of this age, but after consulting the family doctor. Spahn proposes that this practice be standardized across the country.

The head of health also analyzes reduce the time interval between the first and second dose, which in AstraZeneca takes about 12 weeks. This interval becomes unwanted vaccine for many citizens, because with BioNTech / Pfizer, the time required to achieve maximum immunity is reduced to between six and eight weeks.

The German government aims to have all its adult citizens vaccinated by July, two months before the goal initially declared by the Chancellor of the country, Angela Merkel, as Foreign Minister Helge Braun explained yesterday.

Until now, Merkel had estimated that all adults could be vaccinated by the end of the boreal summer, that is, September 21.

The vaccination campaign started to gain momentum in April. By Wednesday they had received at least the first dose 25.4 million citizens -30.6% of the total population-, while 7.1 million -8.6% of the total- have the full guideline, according to the latest data.

Last week, record 1.1 million doses administered in a single day; subsequently it fell to around 800,000, while on Wednesday the million mark was again exceeded.

The German government this week approved regulations for ease restrictions on citizens who are fully vaccinated or who have overcome the disease. They will thus be exempted from the night curfew, as well as quarantines upon returning from a trip abroad.

Consolidated downward impact

The cumulative incidence in seven days fell across the country to 129.1 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, after the 132.8 notified yesterday and 154.9 last Thursday. The peak was reached on December 22 with 197.6 cases.

The level of incidence at which restrictions such as the night curfew are activated is in the range of 100 weekly cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In one in four German districts this level has already been lowered. In Berlin, the average is 103.7.

(With information from EFE)

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