How dangerous are the breakthroughs in the immunization against the coronavirus?

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How dangerous are the breakthroughs in the immunization against the coronavirus?
How dangerous are the breakthroughs in the immunization against the coronavirus?
Anonim

Many people get infected with Covid-19 despite being fully or triple vaccinated. What are the causes of these vaccine breakthroughs and are they dangerous? Public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) answers these questions.

Sick despite vaccination

The higher the vaccination rate in Germany, the more often there are so-called vaccination breakthroughs. The term refers to cases in which people become infected with the coronavirus and become ill, despite full or triple vaccination, that is, they show symptoms of the infection. The so-called asymptomatic course of the disease in the vaccinated is not considered a breakthrough in vaccination.

Booster vaccination protects against Omicron

Since the Omicron variant is far more contagious than any known strain, many people are currently infected with it.

"Right now, the risk of infection is higher for all of us than at any time since the beginning of the pandemic - says virologist Sandra Chisek. - But this is also the positive: if you are vaccinated and strengthened, the risk of dying from the coronavirus has never been so low."

Severe cases after booster are rare

The latest information from the Robert Koch Institute is that people who have been boosted can hardly get into German intensive care units. Even basic immunization significantly reduces the risk - by 55%, compared to patients without vaccination.

And the British he alth authorities came to a similar conclusion. The UK He alth Security Agency, based on available data, reports that the booster prevents about 88% of hospital admissions with COVID.

Does the effectiveness of vaccination protection decrease faster with Omicron?

Regarding the Omicron variant, vaccination protection in people who have been vaccinated twice probably wanes relatively quickly. According to the first findings, however, 15 weeks after the second vaccination, it is no longer sufficient protection against Omicron. After booster vaccination with Biontech, a good protective effect was also found with Omicron. According to experts, this effectiveness can also be assumed for the Moderna vaccine. However, it is not yet clear how long the protection lasts after the booster vaccination.

According to the British he alth authority, the effect of the booster may also weaken over time. The risk for those who were boosted to become infected with the Omicron variant appears to increase again around ten weeks after the booster vaccination. However, according to the data, the risk of severe disease remains low.

Anyone vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should receive a second vaccination four weeks after the first and a booster dose three months later - each with mRNA vaccine. According to recent rulings, anyone who has been vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson is considered boosted only after this third vaccination. This regulation is implemented because, according to experts, vaccine breakthroughs have occurred relatively often after vaccinations with the Johnson & Johnson preparation.

Regarding Delta variant diseases, the He alth Security Agency continues to accept that the Biontech, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines have a very good protective effect against severe Covid. The probability of symptomatic infection is 75% lower in fully vaccinated people, and the risk of severe disease is even reduced by about 90%. At this time, however, the Agency is unable to make any reliable statements about the effectiveness of the new Novavax vaccine for either Omicron or Delta.

Due to the latest findings, especially regarding the Omicron variant, the Standing Committee on Vaccinations in Germany (STIKO) recommends a booster vaccination against mRNA for all people aged 12 years and older. According to the Commission's recommendation, the third vaccination should be done after at least three months. The commission also recommends that people over age 70, nursing home residents, he alth care workers, and those with weakened immune systems receive a fourth vaccination no earlier than three months after the booster dose.

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