Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn has tried to dispel reservations about the Moderna vaccine for boosting. “Moderna is a good, safe and very effective vaccine,” said the CDU politician on Monday in Berlin. Some experts would even say, “Biontech is the Mercedes of vaccines, Moderna is the Rolls-Royce.”
At the same time, Spahn announced that many booster vaccinations can also be carried out in the future with the vaccine from Biontech, which is preferred by many citizens. “Our Biontech warehouses empty so quickly that we can no longer provide them.” A total of six million Biontech cans would be delivered today and tomorrow. In the following weeks, however, there are only two to three million doses. Nothing is being held back. “We deliver everything we have,” said Spahn.
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In a letter to the federal states, the Federal Ministry of Health announced that it would limit the amount of orders for the Biontech vaccine for the next few weeks. For this, the preparation from Moderna is to be used more frequently for booster vaccinations. As a justification, reference was also made to the fact that otherwise from the middle of the 1st quarter of 2022 stored Moderna cans threatened to expire. Biontech’s vaccine currently accounts for over 90 percent of orders.
“If there are vaccine shortages all over the world, we cannot let one of the best and most effective vaccines expire,” says Spahn. But that is not the decisive factor.
A total of 24 million Biontech cans would be available by the end of the year. “If we assume that we want to have 25 to 30 million booster vaccinations by the end of the year, then a large part of these vaccinations – if desired – can also take place with Biontech.” In addition, Moderna currently has 16 million booster vaccinations in the warehouses. Vaccine doses available. By the end of the year there were up to 26 million cans.
The company Biontech is now examining whether it can deliver more vaccine against the coronavirus than previously agreed. “We are currently checking whether and, if so, how many doses we could deliver at short notice and in addition to the contractually agreed ones,” said Biontech spokeswoman Jasmina Alatovic of the German press agency in Mainz.
“Vaccinated, recovered or died”
Spahn is certain that by the end of this winter everyone in Germany will be “vaccinated, recovered or died”. With a view to the highly contagious Delta variant, he therefore urgently advises you to have another vaccination.
The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) also pointed out that the corona vaccines from Moderna and Biontech are equivalent. Its efficiency is more than 90 percent, said institute president Klaus Cichutek in Berlin. Studies have also shown that the vaccine responses are very low in both.
For Leif Erik Sander, head of the research group for infection immunology and vaccine research at the Berlin Charité, it is clear that the worsening situation in the pandemic is “due to a vaccination rate that is too low”. There is no doubt about that, said Sander in Berlin. “That’s why we have to do everything we can to close the vaccination gaps.”
Spahn regrets “a lot of additional stress” in doctors’ offices
For the booster vaccinations, mRNA vaccines are recommended. “Cross-vaccination even offers immunological advantages,” said Sander. So if you were first vaccinated with the Astrazeneca vector vaccine, you should choose Biontech or Moderna as the third vaccination.
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“Both vaccines are identical in design,” said Sander. Studies have even shown that people vaccinated against Moderna could have marginal advantages. But these are differences at a high level. “We have two highly effective and safe vaccines. You can take what is there with peace of mind. “
Spahn admitted that the change in the medical practices and vaccination centers “means a lot of additional effort and stress”. He also understands the anger of doctors. Workflows would have to be changed, and additional persuasive work had to be done. “I know that and I also regret that.” It is important: “There is enough vaccine for all upcoming vaccinations. And both vaccines work. “
