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You always need a syringe
Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand / dpa
A young soccer player does not want to be vaccinated so far, triggering a debate.
Allegedly Joshua Kimmich is waiting for the approval of a so-called dead vaccine, reports the "Bild" newspaper, citing teammates.
Even less prominent skeptics point out that they would prefer the tried and tested method of vaccine production and that they are concerned about the new processes.
Answers to important questions:
What is a dead vaccine?
As the name suggests, such vaccines contain killed pathogens or components that no longer multiply.
The body's defense system recognizes this and forms antibodies against the pathogen without the disease breaking out, according to the Federal Center for Health Education.
In order to trigger an adequate immune reaction, the vaccine often also contains auxiliary substances called adjuvants.
Against which diseases are such vaccines already being used?
For example, for polio, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis B. They have been known for decades.
Are there already dead vaccines against Covid-19?
So far not in Germany.
The approved vaccines are so-called vector vaccines (AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson) or are based on mRNA technology (Biontech, Moderna).
In both cases, a kind of genetic blueprint is transmitted to the body, thus boosting the immune system.
Who has been producing dead vaccines so far?
So far, some Asian pharmaceutical companies from India and China have been on the market with it.
The active ingredients developed by the Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm, for example, are also exported, mainly to developing countries.
A registration of Sinovac in the EU has been applied for, but it is a long time coming.
The exact protective effect is unclear.
Studies call numbers between 50 and 90 percent.
Does Germany also get dead vaccines?
The Franco-Austrian group Valneva is working on approval in Great Britain and the European Union.
Clinical studies have produced positive results, according to the company.
The participants showed comparatively few side effects in the days after the vaccination.
Germany has pre-ordered eleven million doses of the VLA2001 vaccine.
What are the advantages?
Since dead vaccines have been known for a long time, the vaccines could also convince previous vaccine skeptics who consider modern technologies such as mRNA to be too new.
What are the downsides?
It will be months before the vaccine is available.
During this time, the risk of contracting Covid-19 to yourself and others is higher.
In addition, inactivated vaccines have to be refreshed regularly because the protective effect diminishes.
Is the effectiveness generally higher or lower than other vaccines?
This cannot be generalized, but depends in each case on the specific vaccine.
And what about Joshua Kimmich's concerns?
The footballer justified his decision not to be vaccinated yet with the lack of studies on the long-term effects of the vaccines that are already available.
With that he is making a mistake.
"What many people obviously understand by long-term consequences, namely that I will be vaccinated today and will have a side effect next year, does not exist," explains Carsten Watzl, Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology.
"That has never happened before and will not occur with the Covid-19 vaccination."
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