For the first time, STIKO is making a specific recommendation for corona vaccinations in children between the ages of five and eleven: According to this, they should only receive one vaccination dose because many of them were already infected. However, different rules apply to some children.
According to the Standing Vaccination Commission, the majority of children in Germany have now had a corona infection. The STIKO therefore recommends all children between the ages of five and eleven initially only one Covid 19 vaccine dose, as the committee based at the Robert Koch Institute announced. So far there has been no general vaccination recommendation for this age group, but only for children with previous illnesses or who have been in contact with persons at risk.
However, parents are free to have their children vaccinated. According to the STIKO, vaccination should preferably be carried out with the vaccine from Biontech and Pfizer for this age group, alternatively a children's dose of Moderna from the age of six is also possible. The vaccination should be administered no earlier than three months after infection.
STIKO estimates that the proportion of five to eleven year olds who have already had at least one contact with the Sars-CoV-2 antigen was 77.5 percent at the end of March. Even children in whom no infection has yet been detected should initially only receive one dose. In Germany, almost 20 percent of five to eleven year olds are fully vaccinated.
According to STIKO, healthy children who have already received two vaccinations should not be vaccinated again for the time being. For children with previous illnesses or contact with people with a high risk of a severe course, the STIKO confirmed the recommendation of a basic immunization with two doses and a third booster vaccination.
