That is why there are no late effects after a corona vaccination
The fourth corona wave is currently rolling over Germany, in addition to contact restrictions, an increase in the vaccination rate should help to stop the virus. Around 68 percent of the population is currently vaccinated, and some are still critical of the vaccination. Vaccination skeptics often argue with late effects, long-term consequences and side effects. What these terms mean and why the fear of a corona vaccination is unfounded.
In connection with the corona vaccination, there is a lot of discussion about vaccination reactions , side effects and long-term effects. We clear up misunderstandings.
Vaccination reactions: Mild body reactions to the vaccination
Vaccination reactions do not only occur after a corona vaccination, vaccination reactions are also typical after other vaccinations – the reason: the body, especially the immune system , deals with the vaccine. As with a mild infection, the immune system works to produce antibodies and T cells.
Common vaccination reactions are, for example, pain at the injection site, headaches or mild body aches .
Side effects of a vaccination: Mostly stronger reactions of the body
Side effects of the vaccination are usually stronger than usual vaccination reactions. Christine Falk, President of the German Society for Immunology and Professor at the Institute for Transplantation Immunology in Hanover, describes this in a DW interview as “an undesirable reaction of the body to the vaccine that occurs in addition to the normal vaccination reaction”.
Serious side effects are very rare and, in the unlikely event that they occur, can lead to vaccine damage, which can have a long-term impact on health. Sinus vein thrombosis and myocarditis have so far been registered in connection with the corona vaccination. If the symptoms are recognized in time, these rare side effects can be treated quickly and possible damage can be averted.
No long-term effects: The vaccine is quickly broken down in the body
Since the vaccine is completely broken down in the body after a short time, it does not affect humans in the long term. According to the German Society for Immunology, the term long-term consequences is often misinterpreted. It does not mean that frequent side effects only appear months or years after a vaccination – so such late effects that suddenly occur after a long time are not to be expected.
Long-term effects are rare side effects that can occur within a few weeks after vaccination. “Long-term” is the period of time that is needed before a certain number of people are vaccinated and a link between a rare side effect and the vaccine can be demonstrated. For all drugs and vaccines, these observations only take place after approval as part of “monitoring”.
Since more than seven billion vaccine doses have already been administered worldwide and the observations are already advanced, rare side effects can now be proven very reliably.
Vaccination skeptics often cite other vaccines as a negative example. The vaccine Pandemrix ( swine flu ) triggered sleeping sickness (narcolepsy) in very rare cases. However, since only comparatively few people were vaccinated, a connection could only be proven late. However, this was not due to the delayed occurrence of this side effect, but because the connection was only recognized when many people had been vaccinated. Very rare side effects only arise when a large group has been vaccinated.
Long-term consequences of COVID-19 disease weigh very heavily
After a corona vaccination, vaccination reactions usually occur, which subside after a few days. The risk of long-COVID or dying from Corona is significantly higher than the risk of the occurrence of the rare side effects of a vaccination. Corona vaccination is still the best way to protect yourself and others.