In South Africa, young Germans were infected with the Corona variant Omikron, even though they had been vaccinated three times. How difficult was it?
The motto is still: persevere! Many Germans can no longer see the corona measures, the constant vaccination appeals and the information on distance and hygiene measures. But none of this helps, the pandemic is still not over. On the contrary, the next danger is already lurking. Experts recently found the so-called omicron variant *, which the WHO has already classified as worrying. Now echo24.de * even reports on the first vaccination breakthroughs after the booster vaccination.
Omikron: Vaccination breakthroughs despite boosters – do the vaccines still work?
Specifically, it is about seven Germans who, after an examination in South Africa, were infected with the Corona variant Omikron despite their third vaccination. Is that a cause for concern for all vaccinated? After all, Wolfgang Preiser, a member of the research group that discovered Omikron, said in the Tagesspiegel : “There are very many breakthrough infections. What we did not know is that even a booster vaccination with Biontech / Pfizer does not prevent this. “
There are very many breakthrough infections. What we did not know is that even a booster vaccination with Biontech / Pfizer does not prevent this.
Nevertheless, Preiser gives the all-clear again. The vaccination still helps, the expert assures. The vaccination breakthroughs in the boosted only show that “even the best possible vaccination is obviously not enough to prevent an infection – which we already suspected.”
Coronavirus: vaccination breakthroughs at Omikron despite booster – vaccinate anyway?
After all, the seven infected people also give hope. As reported by the German Press Agency, none of the Germans between the ages of 25 and 39 had to deal with a severe course of the infection. That is why Preiser also draws a halfway positive conclusion for the time being: “You can of course now say: These are young people anyway. But one can assume that at least a severe course will be prevented. “
In plain language, this means: Preiser and his research team from Stellenbosch University near Cape Town assume that the booster vaccinations also make sense with the previous vaccines against the Omikron variant. It is still necessary to adapt the vaccine, but the protection against serious diseases is probably still intact after a booster vaccination.
Omikron: can advanced vaccines be the solution?
And research on the further development of the previous vaccines is already in full swing. Moderna and Novavax recently announced that they were working on adapting their vaccines * and Biontech and Pfizer also want to adapt their mRNA vaccine to the Omicron variant *.
But here too, Preiser takes a realistic stance again. The virus researcher nipped in the bud the hope of being completely immune to a corona infection with an adapted vaccine. “You have to be aware that even this does not prevent an infection 100 percent. In other words: You have to continue to adhere to the precautionary measures, ”the scientist explained in the Tagesspiegel .
Meanwhile, health experts in Germany continue to rely on booster vaccinations against the Omikron variant. The Berlin virologist Christian Drosten, for example, sees Omikron as the sticking point in the question of how long the pandemic will last * – and appeals to the population to finally close the vaccination gaps. * echo24.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Klaus-Dieter Esser / dpa
