As of 2022, the BioNTech vaccine against the coronavirus (COVID-19) was administered the most in Germany. Figures were significantly higher for BioNTech vaccinations, compared to the other vaccines approved for use in the EU – Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen. BioNTech is a German biotechnological company, which developed a vaccine against COVID-19 in cooperation with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
New vaccines
BioNTech and Moderna are mRNA vaccines, AstraZeneca is not, but all three have one thing in common – they have to be administered in two doses over a period of several weeks to provide protection against the virus. The Janssen vaccine, also referred to as Johnson & Johnson, referring to its manufacturer, requires one dose. Both
BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have already been administered as booster shots while another coronavirus wave engulfs Germany. After initial shortages in deliveries at the beginning of Germany’s
vaccination campaign at the end of December 2020, production has ramped up, also within the country, and the German government repeatedly assures the population that there are enough vaccines for first, second and booster shots.
The next wave
Thus far there is no national vaccination mandate in Germany, though heated debate among political parties regarding the issue continues, particularly in the wake of rising
coronavirus cases in the winter of 2021 and the emergence of the Omicron variant. While all the currently greenlighted vaccines against COVID-19 are not said to make the recipient immune to the virus, they are widely hailed as helping reduce the risk of a difficult illness or the possibility of a hospital stay.