In an interview with the Rotary Club Schliersee, virologist Hendrik Streeck warned of euphoria about the corona vaccine.
This could only have a short effect and be difficult to distribute in time.
Virologist Hendrik Streeck warns that the duration of protection and effectiveness of the corona vaccine could fall short of the expectations of many.
Streeck also criticizes the distribution concept.
Vaccination centers alone could not administer this across the board.
It needs the family doctors.
According to Streeck, mortality is lower than that presented by Prime Minister Markus Söder.
The pandemic is "not the enormous catastrophe as it is being portrayed".
Schliersee
- There is great hope that a corona vaccine will soon be available.
But the virologist Hendrik Streeck warns of too much euphoria.
"At the moment we still know very little about the vaccine," said the director of the Institute for Virology and HIV Research at the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn at a video conference of the Rotary Club Schliersee.
"The worst situation would be that the vaccine is only effective for six months and we will have the same problem in autumn next year as we have today."
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Vaccination: Streeck sees problems - incomprehension about Söder's statement
Over 80 members and guests followed Streeck's lecture online on Monday evening.
He was quickly confronted with a whole series of questions in the chat, but was only able to answer a fraction of the time.
The focus of interest: the early approval of a vaccine.
Here the 43-year-old dampened expectations of a quick end to the current state of emergency.
"Even if you want to, you will not be able to vaccinate people so quickly," emphasized the virologist, who also described a willingness to vaccinate in the population of 50 percent as "very high".
Many questions are still unanswered - for example, whether the vaccine from the US pharmaceutical company Moderna protects against infection or only against a severe course.
“We also don't know how long vaccination protection lasts,” Streeck reported.
"We can only draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the vaccine from the natural immunity - and there are now cases of re-infections in Germany too."
The professor predicted problems with the administration of the vaccine.
"It will not be possible to solve this with vaccination centers," said the virologist.
Logistical questions are still open.
"It won't work without the family doctors - or we have to add to the army." Leonhard Stark, who won Streeck for the online lecture, shared the skepticism.
"At first there was talk of a hundred people to be vaccinated per day in the test centers in the districts, now we are talking about 300 people," reported the state manager of the Bavarian Red Cross.
The reason is that the corona vaccine from the Mainz company Biontec is delivered in containers of 975 vaccination doses and can only be kept for three days.
"I can't imagine how that should work if you want to talk to each subject for five minutes."
Finally, there was a swipe at politics.
Schliersee's Rotary President Linda Gebser wanted to know what chance virologists have to assert themselves with their advice against prime ministers who are addicted to profile.
"I don't think the decisions are made on a virologist basis," Streeck said curtly.
Previously, the 43-year-old had also commented on mortality from the corona virus and condemned political numbers games.
On average, according to Streeck, around 2,600 people die every day in Germany.
Usually flu or other infections led to a seasonally increased mortality.
With the current precautionary measures and restrictions, the value is currently below the average mortality rate for the past five years.
"When Mr Söder says that the death toll is currently so high that it would be as if an airplane crashed every day, then he is ignoring reality," Streeck clarified.
Every single death is tragic and one cannot simply ignore it.
"But if you look at the numbers," says the virologist, "then it is not the enormous catastrophe that it is currently being portrayed as."
