More and more people in Germany are being vaccinated against the corona virus. But even if the vaccines offer effective protection, there is still a residual risk of getting a corona infection despite vaccination. We explain who is particularly at risk.
More and more people are being vaccinated against the corona virus in Germany. The various vaccines fulfill an important task in containing the corona pandemic and offer a high level of protection. The effectiveness of the vaccines is given as 95 percent by Biontech/Pfizer , 90 percent by Moderna , 76 percent by Astrazeneca and around 67 percent by Johnson & Johnson . Despite the high effectiveness, the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) assumes that many fully vaccinated people have not built up sufficient protection. But who is particularly affected?
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Corona vaccination: How high is the risk of getting infected anyway?
Various factors play a role in the effectiveness of vaccines. To a large extent, the time interval between the first and second vaccination and the immune system of the person being vaccinated are decisive. The vaccines work less well in people with a weaker immune system than in people with an intact immune system. In general, the probability of getting infected despite vaccination is very low.
Corona infection despite vaccination: who is particularly at risk
Because the effectiveness of the vaccine depends on the immune system , people with a weakened immune system may build up less protection. Thomas Mertens, the chairman of the Stiko, told the newspapers of the Funke media group: “There are now several studies that show that vaccination against Covid-19 in people whose immune system is being suppressed by medication does not work as well as in others .” In this case, the immune response is worse or fails completely. This applies, for example, to people after an organ transplant or cancer patients. According to Mertens, people with rheumatism could also be affected. In his opinion, it is not yet possible to estimate how many people are affected – but one must assume “that these are not just isolated cases.”
Older people are also affected
After corona outbreaks in vaccinated people in old people’s homes, a study by the Berlin Charité has now shown the effectiveness of the corona vaccinations, but also that the immune response in older people can be delayed and lower. This is because the immune system reacts faster in younger people.
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Worse protective effect in people with obesity
An Italian study also found that people with obesity may have a lower vaccination effect than those with a normal weight. According to the study, weaker vaccination protection is already known from other vaccinations.
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The majority of people in Germany are vaccinated against the corona virus. However, because vaccines do not provide 100% protection and fade over time, there remains some residual risk of vaccine breakthroughs. Researchers have found which symptoms indicate a corona infection in vaccinated people.
The more people in Germany are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the higher the number of vaccination breakthroughs. Since the vaccines are very effective, but do not protect 100 percent against infection with the corona virus, this is not surprising, but statistically completely normal. Fortunately, the corona vaccination protects against a severe course in most cases, which is why vaccinated infected people have a significantly lower risk than unvaccinated infected people. For example , the vaccines prevent at least 94 percent of hospital admissions. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the probability of a corona infection in vaccinated people is “low, but not zero”. The vaccination protection also slowly decreases after a few months, which is why all adults are currently advised to have a booster vaccination after 6 months . But how do you, as a vaccinated person, know if you are infected? The following symptoms are typical of a vaccine breakthrough.
Corona infection despite vaccination: symptoms of vaccination breakthrough
In a study , a team of researchers from King’s College London analyzed data from over 1.1 million people who were vaccinated between December last and May this year. The symptoms of those who tested positive for the virus after the first or second corona vaccination were examined. The investigations showed that five of the typical symptoms that occur in unvaccinated people when they are infected with the coronavirus also occurred in vaccinated people. These include:
- Runny nose,
- Headache,
- Sneeze,
- Sore throat,
- To cough.
Increased sneezing is particularly typical of vaccine breakthroughs. However, the duration and severity of the symptoms are less pronounced in the vaccinated than in the unvaccinated, and asymptomatic courses are significantly more common.
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People who have been vaccinated should also be tested if they have symptoms
However, the scientists also warned that both increased sneezing and shortness of breath can also occur with other diseases. Even swollen lymph nodes do not necessarily indicate a corona infection, as they are generally a typical sign of an infection. Nevertheless, people who suspect they are infected based on these symptoms should get tested. However, the scientists draw the conclusion that vaccinated people show no symptoms in most cases and if they do, then in a milder form than unvaccinated people.
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