Virologist Christian Drosten stated in a new episode of the NDR podcast "The Coronavirus Update" that booster vaccinations might be necessary this winter.
Berlin - Christian Drosten is a virologist at the Berlin Charité.
In the
NDR
podcast "The Coronavirus Update", the expert regularly gives his assessments of the current Corona situation.
In the latest episode, Drosten therefore spoke, among other things, about new findings on the duration of the protective effect of the corona vaccinations and "nonsensical" statements about the end of the pandemic.
The vaccination campaign in Germany is progressing gradually.
According to the vaccination dashboard of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), at least 23.9 percent of the population have now received an initial vaccination against the coronavirus.
In politics there is now a lively debate about possible easing of the corona restrictions for vaccinated people.
In the new podcast episode, however, Drosten said that it was necessary to realize that the current knowledge about the effects of the corona vaccination * is not yet very extensive.
Corona vaccination: Not yet very extensive knowledge about the effect
"What we do know is that the vaccinations are very effective against the disease, 90 percent and higher," said the virologist. In addition, there would be the perception that the vaccination protects against corona infections * to a high percentage. "But we have to realize that these high values were recorded a few weeks after a vaccination," Drosten clarified.
The previous studies have drawn a picture of the corona vaccines at a point in time relatively shortly after the corona vaccination * - when vaccinated people have built up optimal immune protection, emphasized the Charité virologist.
After a few months, however, the picture will probably change.
"Then these vaccines will probably no longer look so resilient in terms of the transmission of the virus." That must also be considered in public.
"It shouldn't be scandalized either," said Drosten.
Corona vaccination: Take part and vote
Corona in Germany: Drosten advises booster vaccinations from winter
The expert also explained that vaccination protection does not last forever. This applies to all infectious diseases via the respiratory tract. For Drosten it is therefore clear that there will be booster vaccinations. “From autumn or winter, at least the risk groups will be given a one-off booster vaccination. These will then probably be vaccines that have an update regarding the immune escape variants, ”said the virologist.
"You don't have to re-vaccinate because some mutants appear, but primarily because immunity to mucosal viruses does not last for life," Drosten clarified.
Certain antibodies on the mucous membrane of convalescent and vaccinated people decreased over time, explained the virologist.
Then these people could contribute to the transmission of the coronavirus * again within limits.
How efficient this transfer is is not yet clear.
+
Virologist Christian Drosten at a press conference on the current corona situation.
(Archive image)
© Fabrizio Bensch / dpa
Corona in Germany: Drosten describes end-time scenarios as "nonsense"
Especially in countries like Germany, with a high proportion of older population groups, it is therefore important to play it safe, according to the expert. Drosten suggested providing “more than just very limited risk groups” with a booster vaccination in the coming winter. The virologist also made it clear: "End-of-time scenarios according to which the corona pandemic * will never end are nonsense."
The corona situation in India is currently particularly dramatic.
The country recently reported more than 350,000 new corona infections in just one day.
There is therefore great concern about the virus mutation B.1.617 that occurs in India.
In the new episode of the NDR podcast "The Coronavirus Update", however, Drosten tried to calm down and stated that the double mutant was "overrated in the media evaluation" *.
(ph) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
List of rubric lists: © Fabrizio Bensch
