Nearly 900,000 vaccination certificates could expire Feb. 1

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Currently, about 70.9 percent of people in Austria have valid vaccination protection against the coronavirus, meaning their vaccination certificate has not yet expired. However, the validity period of these certificates has been repeatedly shortened in recent months in the wake of new findings on the required immune protection and the emergence of new virus variants. As of February 1, the vaccination certificates are only valid for six months after the second sting; previously, they were valid for nine months. This could invalidate nearly 900,000 vaccination certificates. But even before the shortening, numerous vaccination certificates lose their validity every day because the vaccinated failed to get a second or third dose.

At the turn of the year, about more than 70,000 people lost their valid vaccination protection because they were vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson’s – supposedly – single-use vaccine. The validity of the vaccination certificates expired on the due date, unless those affected had received a booster vaccination. Because that is also needed with the Janssen vaccine. Around 60,000 of these people have not yet received a booster, according to a report in the Salzburger Nachrichten.

Third sting against Omicron
In order to be protected against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, a third sting is needed, regardless of the vaccine. This is probably the reason why the vaccination certificate is still valid for nine months for those who have been vaccinated three times. This is because only after the third sting is one adequately protected from severe covid 19 disease. The shortened validity of the vaccination certificates is probably intended to motivate as many people as possible to receive booster vaccination.

But also considering the effectiveness of the Corona vaccination, the shorter validity period makes sense. According to studies, immune protection is said to decrease dramatically as early as four months after vaccination. On February 1, 897,000 vaccination certificates would then lose their validity, report the Salzburger Nachrichten. Until then, however, many people are still likely to get the third vaccination dose, the Ministry of Health assumes. “In this respect, we will communicate this topic more intensively in the coming days and weeks. No one should be surprised by the expiry of the validity,” it says from the Ministry of Health to the Salzburger Nachrichten.