Fourth corona vaccination: Top virologist describes it as "absolutely unreasonable"
Created: 2022-01-20 05:18
By: Jonas Raab
Virologist Klaus Stöhr speaks out against compulsory vaccination and the fourth spade for everyone.
Only certain people should "maybe" top up again in the fall.
Munich – Omikron is now causing the number of infections to skyrocket in Germany as well.
But because the difficult courses seem to be absent, there is increasing optimism.
There is even some talk of the imminent end of the pandemic.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach remains skeptical, warns of new corona variants and urges general vaccination.
The Munich virologist Klaus Stöhr has a different opinion.
Only recently did he identify "wisps" at Lauterbach, complained about the lack of scientific basis for his statements - and promised a relaxed summer.
Omikron is changing the pandemic: immunization of the population "will last for years"
Stöhr's conviction: Omikron will ensure that the population is immunized.
In an
ntv
interview, he now explains why that is.
According to Stöhr, vaccinated people would now inevitably get another natural booster through an omicron infection, which in most cases is asymptomatic and mild.
"That will last for years."
Virologist Klaus Stöhr expects a nationwide immunization of the population due to the omicron variant.
© teutopress GmbH/Imago
Vaccination is still important.
"It needs the booster.
That remains top priority,” says Stöhr.
Because Omikron would also lead to hospital stays - but 50 percent less compared to the Delta variant.
In the RTL program “Guten Morgen Deutschland”, Stöhr advocated considering only the hospitalization rate and intensive care unit occupancy as parameters of the pandemic in view of the exploding number of infections.
The daily number of new infections no longer plays an important role, the virologist continues.
Corona: Virologist Stöhr considers the fourth vaccination to be “absolutely unreasonable” – with exceptions
Stöhr now also considers compulsory vaccination to be unnecessary – and he describes a fourth injection for everyone as “absolutely unreasonable”. The booster vaccination will get people through the winter well. In addition, the data from Israel would show that the fourth vaccination does not make a big difference. “You also have to consider how far you can push the immune system to the limit. That's not infinitely stretchable," he explained on
ntv
.
But there are also people who, according to Stöhr, should possibly be vaccinated against Covid a fourth time: over 60-year-olds, vulnerable population groups and people with a weak immune response.
“Maybe we should think about it again in the autumn.
It's similar to influenza," says Stöhr, former head of the Global Influenza Program.
(yeah)
