How long do the different vaccines last and which should be used as a booster?
Health expert Karl Lauterbach shares a recommendation.
Berlin - The corona numbers in Germany are currently shooting through the roof.
Measures are tightened and politicians are trying to convince the remaining 30 percent of the population to vaccinate.
However, booster vaccinations are another important tool for combating pandemics.
The protection of the vaccine diminishes after a while.
Vaccination breakthroughs are becoming more common, which can be particularly dangerous for the elderly.
But when does the protection actually decrease and which vaccine can be used as a booster?
There are now first scientific answers to these questions.
Corona study from Sweden: This is how long the vaccines remain effective
Scientists at Umeå University in Sweden have conducted a preprint study that has already been published but has not yet been peer-reviewed by other scientists to determine how long the vaccines remain effective. The
BR
reports
. The research group around Peter Nordström used data from the Swedish statistical authority, the Swedish vaccination register and the SmiNet register. All cases of notifiable diseases such as Covid-19 are collected there nationwide.
In the study, more than 840,000 vaccinated / recovered people were compared with the same number of unvaccinated / non-infected people.
The researchers concluded that Biontech's vaccine was 92 percent effective against symptomatic infection 15 to 30 days after the second dose.
But after just 121 to 180 days, i.e. four to six months, the effectiveness was only 47 percent.
211 days after the second dose, the researchers could no longer read any measurable protection from the data.
The Moderna vaccine, on the other hand, did better and its effectiveness decreased more slowly.
After six months, he still protects 59 percent from infection with symptoms.
In the case of Astrazeneca, on the other hand, no effect against a symptomatic infection was noticeable as early as 121 days after the second dose.
However, if Astrazeneca was inoculated with one of the other two vaccines, i.e. an mRNA vaccine was injected for the second vaccination, the effectiveness also decreased.
But it was still recognizable even after four months.
Which vaccine as a booster?
Lauterbach shares recommendation
So if the protection wears off after a few months, a booster vaccination is worthwhile.
But which vaccine should you take for the booster?
Same as the first two?
According to Karl Lauterbach, health expert from the SPD, recommends exactly the opposite.
He shared new data from US biochemist Rob Swandacher on Twitter.
The booster vaccination must now pick up speed.
What works best?
Switching works best!
Moderna for BionTech vaccinated, BionTech for Moderna vaccinated, and Moderna for J&J vaccinated pic.twitter.com/TKYp8A4Gxv
- Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) October 22, 2021
Lauterbach recommends the following combinations:
1st and 2nd vaccination with Biontech: 3rd vaccination with Moderna
1st and 2nd vaccination with Moderna: 3rd vaccination with Biontech
1st vaccination Johnson & Johnson: 2nd vaccination with Moderna
