Finally there are suitable means in the fight against the coronavirus in the form of various vaccines.
But trust in them is sometimes low.
An overview of myths and facts.
The
corona virus still
has Germany under control.
With the newly developed
vaccines
there is now a way out of the pandemic.
However, false claims on the Internet often lead to a low
willingness to vaccinate
.
Munich
- The
vaccination
against the coronavirus is a hotly debated topic in Germany.
Many people are unsure whether to get vaccinated.
Which is fired
Impfskepsis
by numerous allegations and myths that are spread on YouTube or in social media.
That is why experts and politicians keep demanding: Only with education, the
willingness to vaccinate can be
promoted.
So here is a
fact check
on a few of the most common vaccination myths.
Corona vaccination myths: infertility due to the new vaccine
Claim:
The
corona vaccines
could
cause
infertility
in women
.
Not correct!
- The claim probably arose because there was an alleged similarity between the
coronavirus
spike protein
and to give syncytin-1 to the body's own protein.
Syncytin-1 is responsible for the formation of the placenta in women of childbearing potential, through which the unborn child is supplied with nutrients.
It is therefore claimed that the
vaccination
also paralyzes Syncytin-1 and thus prevents the placenta from forming.
However, there is no particular similarity between the two proteins, so "that a cross-reaction of the
vaccine
is basically impossible," said Annette Beck-Sickinger, head of the research group for biochemistry and bioorganic chemistry at the University of Leipzig, of the
Freie Presse
.
Lars Dölken, Professor of Virology and Immunobiology at the University of Würzburg, told the German Press Agency: Even if both proteins show similarities, one cannot conclude that the body's defenses against the
coronavirus
also attack the syncytin-1 protein.
However, should there actually be a reaction, then
Covid disease
would also have
a harmful effect on pregnancy, said Dölken.
Because the body forms the same defense mechanisms in the event of an infection as after a
vaccination
.
In studies on
Sars-CoV-2
, however, no increased number of miscarriages or complications were found.
Corona vaccination myths: The vaccine could change human genes
Claim:
An
mRNA vaccination
leads to gene changes.
That is impossible!
- Unlike
the flu
vaccination,
for example
, which consists of dead or weakened viruses or parts thereof, the vaccines from Biontech and Moderna work via what is known as
mRNA
.
The m stands for messenger and RNA stands for ribonucleic acid.
During the
vaccination,
no dead
Sars-CoV-2 pathogens are
injected, but only “building instructions” for components of the virus - the messenger molecule
mRNA
.
Based on these instructions, the body's own cells can produce parts of the virus envelope protein (spike protein) themselves.
In the event of a later infection, the immune system can then immediately recognize the protein of the virus and fight it.
Some people are now afraid that the
mRNA will
penetrate into the cell nucleus and change the DNA there.
But that is impossible due to the different chemical structure of the two.
In addition, the
mRNA
absorbed
with the
vaccination
does not even reach the cell nuclei in which the genetic material is stored in the form of DNA.
The messenger molecules only migrate into the cell plasma, where they are read and then rapidly broken down - so quickly that it was long considered impossible to use them therapeutically at all.
A recently published study from America found that in particularly rare cases of a very strong
corona infection
, small bits of genetic material of the virus could penetrate the DNA.
The study has not yet been reviewed by independent researchers.
“However, it will be completely ruled out that the
RNA vaccine will be
rewritten and integrated in DNA,” emphasized Joachim Denner from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) with regard to the US study.
Corona vaccination myths: people died after vaccination
Claim:
Six people died from the
Biontech vaccine
during the test runs
.
Not correct!
- Between the end of April and mid-November 2020, 43,448 people took part in the decisive phase 3 study by Biontech.
In fact, six test subjects died during this time - but not from the
vaccination
.
"All deaths represent events that occur at a similar rate in the general population of the age groups in which they occurred," writes the FDA, the agency responsible for US approval of the drug.
The European approval authority EMA also sees
"no connection" between the cases and the
vaccination study
: "Other
previous illnesses
were more likely to be the
cause of death
."
Four of the deceased participants came from the so-called comparison group.
So the group that was only
injected with
a
placebo
.
They died of age-typical diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.
One subject from the
vaccine group
suffered
a heart attack
about two months after being
vaccinated
.
The last dead person had already had numerous previous illnesses.
This also confirms the assumption of Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute.
He said it was statistically likely that "people will
die
in the temporal context of the
vaccination
" because initially only the vulnerable groups would be vaccinated.
To date (January 16, 2021), more than 1,000,000 people in Germany have been
vaccinated
with the first
dose
.
Ten people have died so far in connection with this.
However, Brigitte Keller-Stanislawski from the Paul Ehrlich Institute says: "Based on the data that we have, we assume that the patients died of their
underlying disease
- in a coincidental time connection with the
vaccination
."
Corona vaccination myths: Rapid approval makes vaccination unsafe
Claim:
The rapid approval and novelty of the
mRNA vaccine
make the preparation unsafe.
Not correct!
- Only in the USA and Great Britain was there a so-called
emergency license
.
However, conditional marketing authorization has been granted in Europe.
This process involves more extensive testing and manufacturers have greater responsibility for the safety of their product.
In addition, due to the tense pandemic situation, the so-called
rolling review process
was used.
This means that the manufacturers were able to submit initial reports on safety and effectiveness to the testing authority while the vaccine was being developed.
So at the end of the test phase, there was no need to start from scratch.
This makes the process faster, but not less secure: “A
rolling review
and an accelerated assessment process do not mean that there will be compromises in terms of the care taken during testing,” writes the
Paul Ehrlich Institute responsible
for
vaccines
and
drugs
.
Research on
mRNA vaccines is also
not new.
Research has been going on for three decades.
For example, funds should be developed for cancer therapy and for
vaccination
against rabies, Zika and seasonal flu.
The German companies CureVac and Biontech have also been working on the medical use of
mRNA
for a very long time
.
The race in the fight against the
corona pandemic
has
now helped
vaccines
achieve a breakthrough.
(tel / dpa)
List of rubric lists: © Matthias Stolt / imago images