Anyone who is fully vaccinated against Corona has been shown to reduce their risk of developing serious illnesses from Covid-19. Nevertheless, a so-called vaccine breakthrough is possible. So you can still get infected with the corona virus, despite vaccination. However, the course of the disease is usually different afterwards. We explain what symptoms you can use to recognize a vaccine breakthrough and how you can prevent it.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the corona vaccines BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca offer a high effectiveness of around 90 percent against severe Covid 19 disease.1 «Severe» is, for example, the need for hospital treatment meant. Protection against the highly contagious delta variant of the corona virus is estimated at 75 percent. However, this also means that the vaccinations do not offer 100 percent protection against the corona virus. If you get infected despite a full vaccination, this is called a vaccination breakthrough. We explain how it happens, what are the symptoms and how to prevent it.
How does vaccine breakthrough come about?
There are various ways in which you can become infected with the virus despite a corona vaccination. The RKI lists the following scenarios:
- The infection took place shortly before the vaccination (the mean incubation period for Covid-19 is five to six days)
- The infection occurred in the first few days after the vaccination, before the vaccine protection was fully developed (complete vaccine protection is achieved about 14 days after the second vaccination dose)
In addition, several studies show that the effect of the corona vaccines decreases after a few months. FITBOOK has already reported on this. In a study by the US health authority CDC, the effectiveness of the BioNTech preparation fell to 77 percent after four months, while Moderna remained almost stable with an effectiveness of 92 percent.
In particular, however, new virus mutations such as the delta variant or the omicron variant can break through the vaccination protection.
Also interesting: How does Omikron differ from the original corona virus?
Which vaccines provided the best protection against a vaccine breakthrough?
We interviewed the immunologist and vaccination expert Prof. Dr. Martina Prelog from the University Hospital Würzburg on the subject. According to her, the general probability of a vaccine breakthrough is around five percent.
The vaccine from Moderna provides the best protection, followed by BioNTech and AstraZeneca. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the most vulnerable. This is also confirmed by the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), as reported by the «Ärzteblatt». Among the vaccinated people in Germany, those who have received a one-off vaccination with the Johnson & Johnson preparation are most likely to contract the corona virus. In addition, the effectiveness against the Delta variant, which is prevalent in Germany, is comparatively low compared to the other corona vaccines.
That is why Stiko advises everyone who has received the corona vaccine from Johnson & Johnson to take an additional dose of vaccine with Moderna or BioNTech to increase protection.
Also interesting: What medications are there against Corona and how do they work?
Typical corona symptoms at vaccine breakthrough
The Covid Symptom Study app has been available in Great Britain since 2020. People from all over the world can register there, report their vaccination status and their corona symptoms. The data are scientifically evaluated at King’s College London. The aim of the study is to better understand the virus and to examine the effect of the vaccinations. Millions of data are now available. For example, the scientists can now show that the symptoms in people infected with corona differ depending on whether they are vaccinated or not.
The five most common corona symptoms in vaccine breakthrough
(listed from top to bottom by frequency)
- runny nose
- headache
- Sneeze
- Sore throat
- persistent cough
The five most common corona symptoms in unvaccinated people
(listed from top to bottom by frequency)
- headache
- Sore throat
- runny nose
- Fever
- persistent cough
Although the symptoms are similar between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, there are differences. A runny nose combined with a headache and sneezing are the most common signs of a vaccine breakthrough. In addition, one rarely has a fever in contrast to unvaccinated people who contract corona. This suggests a milder course.
The vaccination expert Prof. Dr. Martina Prelog confirms that the symptoms of a vaccine breakthrough are similar to those of unvaccinated people, but the course of the corona disease is significantly milder.
Also interesting: The typical corona symptoms at a glance
How to protect yourself from a vaccine breakthrough
As studies show, although the protection of a corona vaccination decreases after a few months, you are still protected against a severe course of the disease. To keep it that way and to keep the risk of a vaccination breakthrough low, a booster vaccination or booster vaccination (i.e. a 3rd vaccination dose) is recommended.
The Stiko advises everyone over the age of 18 to have a booster vaccination.2 However, older and previously ill people should get the booster vaccination first. The interval to the last dose of vaccination should be six months. In individual cases, a shorter vaccination interval of five months is also possible if capacities are available. In addition, the boosters should be done with one of the mRNA vaccines (Moderna or BioNTech). For people under the age of 30, Stiko only recommends the use of BioNTech.
Also interesting: Do corona vaccinations also help against the new virus variant?