In the period from 3 October 2022 to 9 January 2023, the risk of hospital admission for people aged 60 years and older who received a repeat vaccination against COVID-19 in the autumn round was 58% lower than for people who had previously received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, but had not received a repeat vaccination in the autumn round. The risk of ICU admission for over-60s who received the repeat vaccination in the autumn round was 59% lower. This means that the risk of hospital and ICU admission for people over 60 who received the repeat vaccination in autumn 2022 was nearly 2.5 times lower.
In the last 8 weeks (15 November 2022 to 9 January 2023), the risk of hospital admission was highest among unvaccinated people aged 80 and older and among people over 90 who had partly or fully completed a basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations without a booster. The risk of ICU admission was highest among people aged 70-79 years who were unvaccinated or had partly or fully completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations without a booster.
People who do not have the same vaccination status may also have differences in vulnerability (underlying health conditions) or the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections they have had. Therefore, a comparison of hospital and ICU admission rates between people with different vaccination statuses cannot be exclusively used to indicate vaccine effectiveness.
Everyone who has been invited to get a COVID-19 vaccination in the basic series, but has not yet done so, can still be vaccinated. In addition, since 19 September 2022, it is possible to get a repeat vaccination against COVID-19. This repeat vaccination in the autumn round is available to everyone aged 12 years and older who has at least completed the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations. The vaccination is available from 3 months after the most recent COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection.