The virologist Hendrik Streeck does not consider a booster vaccination with an adapted vaccine to be absolutely necessary. Because their effect has so far only been proven in the laboratory.
Munich – The European Medicines Agency EMA will decide on Thursday (September 1st) whether to approve another vaccine against the coronavirus. This is a vaccine developed by Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna, which is intended to protect against the omicron variant BA.1. A vaccine to protect against the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 is to follow at the end of September.
Streeck on the vaccines against the omicron variants: Laboratory tests show better neutralization
In an interview with the news channel ntv , Hendrik Streeck said that the new vaccines were tested in the laboratory. According to the virologist, it turned out that the vaccines adapted to the BA1 and BA5 variants are more effective in neutralizing the virus.
At the same time, however, Streeck limited that most people are currently vaccinated against the original corona variant. The question now is whether to get a booster shot against BA.1 in early September or wait until the end of September to protect against BA.5.
Streeck on the vaccines against the omicron variants: Wide-ranging effects have not yet been proven
However, since the new vaccines have so far only been tested in the laboratory and not on humans, there is much to be said for Streeck in favor of using the original vaccine and not the adapted variants. Because it is not yet clear how well the adapted vaccines really improve vaccination protection.
Therefore, a booster vaccination, whether against BA.1 or the original variant, promises the same protection against the severe course of an infection. “We will not get any better protection against the infection,” Streeck is certain.
Streeck on Lauterbach’s warning of encephalitis: “Leave the church in the village”
Regarding a tweet by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) that many 20-50 year olds will experience inflammation of their brain tissue in the fall as a result of Long-Covid, Streeck gives the all-clear. There are repeated reports of various influences of the virus on the brain.
But that is something that does not affect everyone who is going through a corona disease. “You have to leave the church in the village a bit,” says Streeck. It can lead to inflammation in the brain, but that is not the norm.
