Berlin’s vaccination centres are now offering booster shots. Photo: IMAGO / snapshot
It’s officially been announced that vaccine boosters are now available to eligible Berliners just five months after receiving their last injection. Here’s everything you need to know about whether you’re eligible and how to access the service:
Who is eligible?
Anyone who received the Johnson & Johnson jab can get their booster shot after four weeks. Recipients of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna must wait at least five months from their last dose before booking their booster shot. The private Loewe Saal vaccination centre in Berlin-Moabit is offering booster shots even earlier, at just 4.5 months. At the time of writing, everyone eligible over the age of 18 is being encouraged to get their booster jab.
Can I get my shot without an appointment?
In short, yes, although it is recommended that you book a jab in advance. Both of Berlin’s large-scale vaccination centres, Messe and Flughafen Tegel, offer walk-in appointments and most centres offer walk-ins between 11am-5pm. At the Messe centre, those looking for a Moderna booster can only walk in between 2pm-5pm.
The Messe, Flughafen Tegel, Karlshorst, Ringcenter and Freizeitforum Marzahn vaccination centres have an online traffic-light system that indicates whether or not they have space for walk-ins.
Where can I get one?
Vaccination centres and mobile locations are both offering booster shots by appointment or walk-in. You can book an appointment here or contact the vaccination centre closest to you for information on walk-in appointment hours.
- Einkaufszentrum ALEXA
Grunerstraße 20, 10179
Monday-Saturday 10-17:00
Vaccines offered: Pfizer BioNTech
- LINDEN-Centre
Prerower Platz 1, 13051
Monday-Friday: 11:30-1830
Saturday: 10:30-17:00
Vaccines offered: Pfizer BioNTech
- Ring Centre II + III
Frankfurter Allee 113-117, 10365
Monday-Saturday: 9:00-19:00
Vaccines offered: Pfizer BioNTech
- Schönhauser Allee Arcaden
Schönhauser Allee 80, 10439
Monday-Saturday 11:30-18:45
Vaccines offered: Pfizer BioNTech
- Rathaus-Center Pankow
Breite Straße 20, 13187
Monday-Saturday 11:30-18:30
Vaccines offered: Pfizer BioNTech
- Corona-Impfzentrum Messe
Messedamm 22, 14055
Every day from 9:00-17:00
Vaccines offered: Pfizer BioNTech & Moderna
- Corona-Impfzentrum Tegel
Saatwinkler Damm, 13405
Terminal C
Every day from 9:00-17:00
Vaccines offered: Pfizer BioNTech & Moderna
You can check locations for mobile sites here (halfway down the page).
Alternatively, you may be able to get a booster through your family doctor. This is the recommended option for high-risk individuals.
What do I need to bring with me?
Proof of identity is required in order to update your digital vaccine certificate. Although it is recommended to bring identification to keep your records up to date, it is not required to receive a dose. It is also important to bring your vaccination card if you have one so that it can be updated once you have received your dose.
You will be asked to fill out a Consent form and Medical history form when you arrive at your appointment. You can also print the forms off and fill them out in advance.
What if I don’t have German health insurance?
As long as you’re able to prove you live in Germany, you are eligible for a free shot. If you cannot prove your residency, proof of employment in Germany will also work.
How long does my vaccination last?
New data indicates vaccine effectiveness for Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca wears off significantly in around six months. With cases of infection soaring across the country, getting a booster shot is now an important consideration for those who received their vaccines in the spring and early summer.
It also raises the question of how long simply providing proof of vaccination will be considered an adequate form of protection. A Swedish study released the following information about the length of vaccine effectiveness:
AstraZeneca
Protection for those vaccinated with AstraZeneca was shown to wear off after just four months.
Pfizer BioNTech
With just 47 percent effectiveness six months after being administered, Pfizer’s protection against Covid-19 dropped as low as 23% at the seven month mark.
Moderna
The most successful of the vaccines tested, Moderna’s effectiveness dropped to just 60 percent after six months. Similar results were demonstrated when mixed with AstraZeneca.
The study is not yet peer reviewed, but it does highlight the issue that many Berliners are losing their resistance to the virus as it enters its fourth wave, setting the scene for a potentially disastrous winter.
With a seven-day incidence of 338, Berlin’s rocketing cases match the rapid increase seen across the country. In an effort to curb infections, Germany announced on November 18 that 2G regulations would be put in place nationwide, meaning proof of either vaccination or recovery is now required to access leisure activities.
Berlin will additionally impose 3G regulations on public transport, requiring all passengers to provide proof of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test to board and to agree to random checks. Both a PCR test taken within 48 hours of the start of the journey and rapid tests taken within 24 hours are accepted.
