The goal of vaccination against COVID-19 is to prevent serious illness. This is achieved through the formation of so-called memory cells of the immune system, such as B and T cells. These cells tend to be long-lived and are found in the bone marrow, bloodstream, and lymph glands. They monitor whether people are exposed to a pathogen. If the pathogen is discovered, these memory cells are quickly activated and stimulate the immune response. This effectively combats the infection before it gets out of control and causes serious illness.

For the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, studies have shown that high levels of memory cells are produced. With the emergence of the delta variant of the coronavirus, it has been shown that the amounts of memory cells produced by both the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) and the adenovirus-based vaccines (J&J/Janssen) have increased in most cases are sufficient to prevent serious illnesses. These results would therefore not justify a booster vaccination.

However, a second goal of vaccination is to prevent any type of disease, that is, to ensure that vaccinated people do not suffer even a mild or asymptomatic infection. To achieve this, people must have high levels of neutralizing antibodies in their bloodstream. Neutralizing antibodies prevent the virus from attaching to and entering cells. However, levels of neutralizing antibodies normally decrease over time. In this situation, a booster vaccination can stimulate memory B and T cells to produce neutralizing antibodies. The amount of detectable antibodies in the bloodstream is increased again and the likelihood of illness can be reduced.

Prof. Harmut Göbel: “In the Kiel Pain Clinic, all nurses and doctors are fully vaccinated. I am very happy about that. The corona virus is in the country. If you are not vaccinated, it is only a matter of time, probably the next few months, before you become infected. The virus will use the body of the unvaccinated person as a cuckoo's nest, introducing its genetic information into their cells in order to continue to multiply. This can result in severe disease progression with long-term consequences for the rest of life or even death. Therefore, I recommend everyone to get vaccinated”.

More information: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/archived-covid-19-questions

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