Fact Check

There is no discernible risk of mRNA being integrated into the human genome The term genome refers collectively to the carriers of genetic information within a cell. These include the chromosomes, DNA and RNA. . In humans, the genome is located in the form of DNA in the cell nucleus The cell nucleus contains a complete set of genetic information. The genome of a human being is located in the form of DNA inside the cell nucleus . An integration of RNA into DNA DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid or in German: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). It is a large molecule found in the nucleus of almost every cell in living beings. Information that determines the development and biological functions of every living organism is stored in this molecule – the so-called genetic blueprint. is not possible at all, largely due to differences in their chemical structure. There is also no evidence that the mRNA incorporated into the body’s cells after vaccination is transcribed into DNA.

(Source: RKI, date: 21/07/2021)

Yes. The currently available vaccines are also effective against the different variants of the coronavirus. However, results of studies show that the protective effect only exists if the vaccinated individual has received all prescribed vaccinations.

Currently, the consensus among experts is that the efficacy of all approved COVID-19 vaccines is roughly similar. Should additional mutations arise which cause the vaccines’ efficacy to plummet, the vaccine manufacturers could modify the available COVID-19 vaccines accordingly within a matter of weeks. All manufacturers are already developing modified vaccines, with the corresponding approvals expected in the second half of 2021.

(Source: RKI, date: 28/07/2021)

The vaccines were rigorously tested before being approved. There is no evidence that women could become infertile after vaccination.

A rumour was spread via social media that coronavirus vaccines can make people infertile because the spike proteins Auf Deutsch würden wir sagen: Stachel-Eiweiß. This is an important building block of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (the “spikes” on the spherical surface of the virus). They ensure that the virus can enter the body’s cells.

Antibodies can recognise the virus by the spike protein, bind to it and thus mark it as a target. This fact is used as a basis for the development of vaccines. on the surface of the coronavirus are similar to the protein Syncytin-1 This protein is responsible for the formation of the placenta. There have been rumours that coronavirus vaccines can make women infertile due to similarities between the spike proteins on the coronavirus and the syncytin-1 protein.

However, the similarities between the two proteins are so minimal that a coronavirus vaccine cannot result in infertility. This has been proven by every study conducted in this area. , which is responsible for the formation of the placenta The placenta grows in the mother’s body at the beginning of pregnancy and supplies the baby with important nutrients and oxygen until birth. .

Based on this fact, some people leapt to the following conclusion: if a vaccinated woman’s immune system develops antibodies against the spike protein on the coronavirus, they will also attack the syncytin-1 protein and thus impair the formation of a placenta. However, as the similarity between the two proteins is in reality minimal, a cross-reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine can be ruled out.

(Source: RKI, date: 19/07/2021)

No, that is not true. On the contrary, The German Society for Rheumatology explicitly recommends coronavirus vaccination in its official statement. Professor Dr Andreas Krause, President of the German Society for Rheumatology has stated that although the mRNA vaccine has not yet been systematically tested on patients with rheumatism, experience with inactive vaccineshas Three types of vaccine have been developed against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus: vector-based vaccines (live vaccines containing vector viruses), inactive vaccines containing viral proteins, and mRNA vaccines.

In the case of inactivated vaccines, the antigen consists either of dead pathogens, their components or harmless substances derived from them. These biological materials are recognised by the body as foreign and stimulate the immune system into producing antibodies without the corresponding disease taking hold. shown that vaccines can generally be administered safely and effectively even to patients suffering from inflammatory rheumatic diseases..

(Source: RKI, date: 14/07/2021)

Despite the fact that the quantity of useful antibodies decreases after a few months following vaccination, the body of a vaccinated person can still generate a protective immune response after this time. This is because vaccines not only stimulate the production of antibodies, but also train the immune cells to recognise and destroy cells infected with coronavirus.

Even though these vaccines have been approved, their manufacturers are still conducting ongoing research to establish the degree of long-term protection they provide.

(Source: RKI, date: 02/06/2021)

No. Elderly people and high-risk patients with certain pre-existing conditions or who are overweight were also included in the clinical trials Clinical trials are used to determine whether a drug or vaccine is effective and safe. In Germany, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) is responsible for managing clinical trials in the field of vaccines and medicinal products. It monitors the quality, efficacy and safety of licensed vaccines and thus ensures that every vaccine in use has been extensively tested. .

(Source: RKI, date: 01/07/2021)

In clinical trials with a large number of patients, which last for long periods and involve elderly people, it is possible that some patients will die in the course of the trial. However, this does not mean that there is a connection to the vaccine.

Every side effect that occurs is recorded and every death is closely examined for a possible link to the vaccine by an independent monitoring body. The Paul Ehrlich Institute is constantly updating its safety reports on the COVID-19 vaccines.

(Source: RKI, date: 09/07/2021)

With millions of doses of the vaccines already administered, no cases of facial paralysis following coronavirus vaccination have been flagged up by the respective national vaccine safety monitoring systems.

(Source: RKI, date: 01/07/2021)

No. In all the studies conducted to investigate the vaccines’ safety, no such link has ever been found. Before being approved, each vaccine must have been tested on a sufficiently large group and these trials must clearly show that its protective effect outweighs any side effects.

(Source: RKI, date: 15/07/2021)

In some cases, people died shortly after receiving the vaccine. However, this does not mean that these deaths were linked to the vaccine. If many very old people or people with severe pre-existing conditions and thus an increased risk of death are vaccinated, a certain number of coincidental deaths shortly after vaccination are unfortunately inevitable.

(Source: RKI, date: 15/06/2021)

No. This kind of assumption is a baseless conspiracy theory and therefore not true. Research on COVID-19 vaccines is conducted by objective and serious scientists whose goal is to develop a safe and effective protective vaccine against COVID-19.

(Source: RKI, date: 20/07/2021)

All vaccines approved in Germany have been extensively tested and are safe – regardless of the type of vaccine. For decades, the active ingredient of inactivated vaccines, such as flu, polio or rabies vaccines, has been known. That’s why some people associate it with higher safety. However, safety and effectiveness of newer vaccine technologies such as mRNA vaccines have also been extensively tested in studies.

(Source: RKI, Version: 18 January 2022) 

No. Vaccines are not known to have side effects that only occur years after vaccination. Decades of experience showed us that most side effects occur within a few hours or days after vaccination. In rare cases, vaccine side effects only occur or are recognised after weeks or a few months.

(Source: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Version: 18 January 2022) 

No. In the extensive clinical trials carried out before the approval of vaccines, there was no evidence of the occurrence of autoimmune diseases. Nonetheless, this theoretical risk continues to be observed and monitored even after approval.

(Source: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Version: 18 January 2022) 

Transmission from the mother to her newborn, even in the womb, cannot be ruled out. However, in most cases, the children whose mothers have tested positive for the Coronavirus do not show any signs of illness after birth. So far, only isolated cases of diseases in newborns that may result from an infection in the womb have been described. Since September 2021, the German Advisory Committee for Immunisation Practices (STIKO, Ständige Impfkommission) has also generally recommended the anti-COVID vaccination for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

(Source: RKI, Version: 18 January 2022) 

No, that is not true. The German Advisory Committee for Immunisation Practices (STIKO, Ständige Impfkommission) generally recommends the vaccination against Coronavirus for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Unvaccinated pregnant women are recommended to be vaccinated with two doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA vaccine three to six weeks apart from the second trimester of pregnancy. If the pregnancy is determined after the first vaccination has already taken place, the second vaccination should only be carried out from the second trimester of pregnancy.

(Source: RKI, Version: 18 January 2022)