“Corona Vaccination Record: Balancing the Advantages and Errors”

Berlin. “Welcome to paradise.” With these words, at the beginning of the vaccination campaign against Covid-19, an employee greeted visitors to a Berlin vaccination center – over and over again. His saying brought him media attention throughout Germany. He touched the emotional state of many people. They finally wanted to be better protected against this uncanny disease.

The development of corona vaccines is one of the most remarkable stories of this Pandemic. It all happened faster than ever before in human history. Most citizens trusted science and politics. According to the Robert Koch Institute, more than 192 million individual vaccinations have been administered in this country in a short period of time. Without trust this would have been impossible.

Corona vaccination: potential for conspiracy myths

However, the pandemic in general and vaccination in particular also harbor the potential anti-scientific, populism and conspiracy myths. This thesis is easy to verify, just look on the internet. Therefore, a preliminary vaccination record can be tricky.

The fact is it vaccination reactions, -complications, serious side effects, vaccination damage and also the so-called post-vac syndrome really exist. As a result, these led to pain, fever, hives, heart disease myocarditis or pericarditis, blood clots in the brain, facial paralysis, muscle weakness or even long-lasting fatigue. Some of these consequences were foreseeable, others not.

Also read: Possible vaccination damage: More than 180 lawsuits in Germany

Vaccination complications, severe side effects and vaccination damage are rare. The reporting rate for suspected cases of vaccination side effects is according to the Paul Ehrlich Institute at 1.8 per 1000 vaccine doses administered. The rate for suspected cases of serious side effects and complications is 0.3 per 1000. There are around 120 cases in which a “probable or possible causal connection” has been recognized between a death and the corona vaccination.

Behind these numbers are hidden fates. People who are suffering or even died. If we look at them, it becomes painful. The paradise? Really?

Corona vaccination: Balance sheet also shows playful trust

The word balance sheet comes from Latin. Balance means scales. It’s about weighing – and therefore also about weighing things up. At the preliminary vaccination record the big picture also counts. And the advantages for millions outweigh the disadvantages – protection from severe courses, long-term effects and death. It is simply wrong to claim that these advantages do not exist and that science has swept all of the vaccination risks under the carpet. She hasn’t. In Germany, the Standing Vaccination Commission was even particularly cautious.

Nevertheless, the preliminary balance also shows serious errors: Leading virologists emphasized too early and too vehemently that the vaccinations corona waves break and prevent infection. They made vaccination a kind of miracle cure, which it is not. And downright insane was a statement by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who described the vaccination as free of side effects, for which he later apologized.
In both cases, trust has been lost. That must not be repeated. Vaccination is a great achievement in medical history. Anyone who brings them into disrepute is acting with gross negligence.