A new study sheds light on the impressive effect of the corona vaccines from Biontech and Moderna.
Kassel - Will many people in Germany soon need a booster vaccination?
A new study on the mRNA vaccines from the manufacturers Biontech / Pfizer and Moderna now gives hope that the vaccines will protect against infection with Corona * for longer than initially assumed.
“The virus will not leave us again.
The current corona vaccinations will therefore not be the last, "said the chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), Thomas Mertens, to the newspapers of the Funke media group in May.
"Basically, we have to be prepared for the fact that everyone may have to refresh their vaccination protection in the next year."
According to an American study, this could be superfluous for many people who have been vaccinated with Biontech or Moderna - at least for a longer period of time.
According to the researchers, the vaccines trigger an immune reaction that could protect against corona infection for years, reports the New York Times.
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American scientists have investigated how long the mRNA vaccines from Biontech / Pfizer and Moderna protect against corona infection.
© Fabian Sommer / dpa
Biontech and Moderna: How long do vaccinations protect against Corona?
Most people who were immunized with the mRNA vaccines, according to the results of the study, do not need a booster as long as the virus and its variants do not develop significantly beyond their current form. According to the scientists, those who have already recovered could even be protected if the coronavirus changes significantly. "That's a good sign of how durable the immunity is from this vaccine," said immunologist Dr. Ali Ellebedy, director of the scientific study at Washington University in St. Louis, the New York Times.
No other vaccines were included in the study, which was published in the journal Nature.
However, a new study on the Astrazeneca vaccine shows that the vaccine produces a strong immune response after the third vaccination *.
After corona infection: immune cells can still be detected for months
In a study, the US scientist Ali Ellebedy first examined how long people who have recovered are protected from renewed corona infection.
The research team led by the immunologist found that immune cells against the coronavirus can still be detected in the bone marrow for at least eight months after the infection.
The scientists assume that those who have recovered will possibly produce immune cells against the coronavirus for a lifetime.
vaccine |
Comirnaty |
Manufacturer |
BioNTech / Pfizer |
Recommendation for the administration of the second vaccination dose |
Six weeks after the first vaccination |
effectiveness |
About 95 percent (14 days after the second vaccination) |
Source: RKI |
mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Biontech: Booster vaccinations make sense for some people
Another scientific study indicates that so-called memory B cells are still present in the body for at least one year after the infection. After an infection, a so-called germinal center is formed, in which B cells develop further. The longer this is active, the better the body can react to virus variants. Ellebedy's research team found that 15 weeks after the first dose of Biontech vaccine, the germination center was still very active in all 14 study participants and that the number of memory cells that recognized the coronavirus had not decreased.
"The fact that the reactions persisted for almost four months after the vaccination is a very, very good sign," said Ellebedy.
“Usually there isn't much left after four to six weeks,” immunologist Deepta Bhattacharya told the New York Times.
In contrast, there was no major decrease in the germinal centers that were stimulated by the mRNA vaccines.
However, according to the scientists, it is difficult to predict how long the protection provided by the Biontech and Moderna vaccines will actually last.
Despite the promising study results, the researchers advise some people to have a booster vaccination.
Older people and people with a weak immune system or immune system that has been weakened by medication could therefore need another corona vaccination.
(sne)
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List of rubric lists: © Fabian Sommer / dpa