Corona disease despite vaccination: new study shows who is particularly at risk

It is known that none of the approved vaccines provides 100 percent protection against infection. Researchers from Israel have found out who is particularly at risk of becoming infected despite being vaccinated.

Germany – 87 million vaccine doses have now been administered in this country – more than 47 percent of the population are double vaccinated. (As of July 20, 2021). In most cases, the vaccines provide reliable protection against corona infection. But there are also cases of so-called breakthrough infections in Germany – i.e. infections with Sars-CoV-2 despite complete vaccination protection. Researchers from Israel have examined such cases more closely in a study, reports RUHR24. *

Corona: Numbers show – vaccination breakthroughs are extremely rare

According to the definition of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), a vaccination breakthrough is a “SARS-CoV-2 infection (with clinical symptoms) that was diagnosed in a fully vaccinated person using PCR or pathogen isolation.”

According to the RKI status report from Wednesday, July 14th, there have been only 5,374 cases of vaccination breakthroughs since February 1, 2021. Compared to the more than 37 million people who were fully vaccinated on July 14th, this is a very small number, which can be explained solely by the fact that the vaccine does not provide 100% protection.

According to the numbers, the risk of contracting Covid-19 despite being vaccinated is extremely low. As early as February 2021, a researcher from Oxford University came to the conclusion in a study that was published in the specialist magazine The Lancet that with a Biontech vaccination only 0.05 percent of people get Covid-19 even though they are vaccinated ( News about the coronavirus in NRW * on RUHR24).

Double vaccinated and still sick – Israeli researchers are investigating breakthroughs in vaccination

Researchers from Israel have now analyzed in a study which groups of people are particularly at risk of contracting the coronavirus * despite being vaccinated. The corresponding report by the scientist Tal Brosh-Nissimov from the University Clinic in Ashdod and his colleagues has appeared in the specialist journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection .

The researchers evaluated a total of 152 patients who became infected with the coronavirus despite being vaccinated twice with the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine. On average, there were 40 days between the second vaccination and hospital admission.

Vaccination breakthroughs in Israel – these groups of people are particularly at risk

The data from Israel show that people who are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill even among those who have not been vaccinated are at risk of becoming infected despite being vaccinated. Namely people who suffer from a previous illness.

In fact, only six of the patients were healthy. The others suffered from one of these diseases:

Infection despite vaccination – older people are also more susceptible

Older people are also more at risk – in the Israeli study, the affected patients were on average 71 years old. A German research team from the Berlin Charité also came to this conclusion. The data from Germany also show that it is especially older people who can still become seriously ill despite having a double vaccination.

Your results have been published in the magazine Emerging Infectous Disease and relate to Covid-19 outbreaks despite vaccination protection in German care facilities. The reason that the scientists determine: In older people, the immune response is delayed after vaccination and does not reach the level of younger vaccinated people.

The Israeli researchers emphasize that such data could be the basis for appropriate recommendations. For example, people with previous illnesses or the elderly could get a booster vaccination.

Corona vaccinations: Delta seems to increase the risk of breakthrough infections

According to the latest data from Israel, the protection against infection by vaccination is probably also reduced by the Delta variant.

The Times of Israel reported in mid-February of an analysis of 530,000 fully vaccinated people – only 15 of them had to be hospitalized after double vaccination because of Covid-19 infection. The effectiveness of the vaccination was given at that time with 95 percent – the occurrence of symptoms such as fever and breathing difficulties was prevented by 98 percent according to this analysis.

In July, however, the Israeli Ministry of Health reported that the prevention of infection by the vaccine had fallen to 64 percent due to the Delta variant. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that 50 percent of the newly infected in Israel already have full vaccination protection.

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Corona: Risk of serious illness after vaccination low even with Delta

Here, however, one has to differentiate between the risk of infection and the risk of becoming seriously ill after an infection. Because the effectiveness stated by the manufacturers – for example the 95 percent at Biontech / Pfizer * – actually, contrary to what is often shown, does not refer to the severity of the disease, but describes the relative risk of becoming infected with Covid-19.

According to the authority, even more fully vaccinated people who are infected with the virus are currently showing symptoms of the disease. However, the vaccination continues to protect 93 percent of the disease against severe disease progression with hospitalization. In other words: Anyone who becomes infected with the delta variant of the coronavirus despite having been vaccinated twice is still more than 90 percent protected from Covid 19 disease with severe symptoms.

British studies also show that the vaccines from Biontech / Pfizer and Astrazeneca protect more than 90 percent against the course of the disease in the event of a Delta infection. The fact that the vaccinations show this desired effect is currently also proven by the fact that in some countries such as Spain or Great Britain, where the numbers are currently increasing, fewer Covid-19 patients need to be treated in hospitals. * RUHR24 is part of the IPPEN.MEDIA editorial network.

List of rubric lists: © Frank Molter / dpa