Austrian health experts have warned that wastewater analyses show rising rates of COVID-19 infections already this summer.
It’s too early to talk about a wave of infections, but the trend is clearly upward, Austrian media reported. With that in mind, should you get vaccinated, and when?
Austria’s official recommendations
The Austrian National Immunization Committee (NIG) generally recommends an annual vaccination (similar to the flu shots) for everyone over the age of 12. However, the vaccination is strongly recommended for certain risk groups.
These are people aged 60 and over, healthcare staff and people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), chronic heart and kidney problems, people with trisomy 21 and people with immunodeficiencies or immunosuppressive therapy, HIV infection, organ or bone marrow transplants and autoimmune diseases.
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The Austrian vaccination plan also mentions “persons with intellectual or physical disabilities in and outside of care facilities”.
A single vaccination is sufficient; it is free of charge for everyone. At least six, ideally twelve months, should have passed since the last vaccination or infection. Only in certain risk groups (people over 60 and patients with pre-existing severe conditions) can it make sense to be vaccinated after just four months – always after consulting a doctor.
However, a minimum interval of four months should be observed in each case. In other words, anyone last vaccinated or tested positive more than twelve months ago can get a booster in Austria.
On individual request, babies aged six months can also be vaccinated. If they have not yet been vaccinated or tested positive, the age group six months to five years requires three doses of basic immunisation (a low dose tailored to small children). If they have (no matter how often), one dose is sufficient.
One dose is sufficient for children aged six to twelve, regardless of previous vaccinations or infections.
When should I get vaccinated?
Waiting a few more weeks to get vaccinated towards the end of the summer vacation is recommended. This is because the expected autumn wave will likely pick up pace then.
The current vaccine is effective around seven to twelve days after the shot, but the antibodies usually disappear again after around three months.
So, if you are vaccinated again at the end of August, you will increase your protection against infection from around one week after administration until November.
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Which vaccine is Austria administering?
The vaccine used is the vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer (a so-called mRNA vaccine, which also falls into the category of inactivated vaccines), which has been adapted against the most recently dominant variant, JN.1 (from the Omikron family).
Vaccinations are given at vaccination centres (in Vienna at the TownTown vaccination centre in the third district), at health centres of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), and at selected general practitioners in private practice. More information about vaccination centres can be found on the health hotline 1450 and the Medical Association’s website: www.aerztekammer.at.
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