Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - According to the North Rhine-Westphalian Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU), vaccinations will remain the decisive weapon against the corona virus this winter. On Thursday, Laumann urged all citizens to follow the recommendations of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) in order to protect themselves.
The groups for which Stiko has long recommended a second booster (fourth dose) include people aged 60 and over, high-risk patients and immunocompromised patients aged five and over, as well as staff and residents in the health and care sector.
This circle was not expanded with the latest recommendations published on Thursday, said Stiko chairman Thomas Mertens. Anyone who is healthy and does not belong to the risk groups does not need the so-called second booster. ""It does no harm" is not a sufficient medical indication," Mertens commented on the opinions of others who also consider the second booster to be useful in broader sections of the population.
