Covid Vaccination information

People have very different opinions about vaccinations, this post is only to inform those who are interested in getting a Covid-19 vaccine.
Vaccination is voluntary and not compulsory.

What vaccines are currently approved in Germany

The information in this table was correct on 23 March 2022 (https://vaccination-info.eu/en/covid-19/covid-19-vaccines)

What questions do I need to ask about vaccines:

What type of vaccine is it?
There are currently 4 types of vaccines available. Viral Vector (genetically modified virus), RNA, Protein-based and Adenovirus-based.
Who can get the vaccine (age group)?
What are the expected side effects. The two Vector vaccines have current investigations into blood clots. You can read more about the side effects here (in German)
How many doses must I get and how far apart?
When will I be fully vaccinated?
Does it protect against the most dangerous Variants

For more information on the Vaccines that are approved in Germany, see the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut

Impfpass:

As a rule, the vaccination certificate (Impfpass) is issued with the first vaccination in infancy.
If you do not have a vaccination certificate, one can be picked up free of charge from a doctor’s office or the health department.
In principle, doctors are required to document a vaccination in the vaccination certificate.
Alternatively, if there is no vaccination certificate, proof of vaccination will be issued in the form of a piece of paper that has to be added to your “impfpass”

You can also now get a digital vaccine certificate (Digitalen Impfnachweis) for free. You will need either the CovPass or the Corona-warn app for that, and a QR code issued by the vaccination centre or doctor where you are getting vaccinated.
This is also valid for those who recovered from Covid and only had one vaccination.
For those who are already fully vaccinated:

at a Vaccination centre, will get their codes via mail or online portal.
by their doctor, can get the codes from participating doctors or pharmacies.
Documents needed are your vaccination certificate and an official photo ID.

Once you received the QR code, you can scan it into the CovPass or Corona-warn app.

Legal information

Who will be compensated in the event of any damage due to vaccinations and what liability regulations exist?
You can find answers to legal questions regarding corona vaccination here. It is available in German.

In order to increase knowledge about the tolerance of the vaccine, people who have been vaccinated can report their symptoms at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
The Paul Ehrlich Institute smartphone app “SafeVac 2.0” can also be used for this purpose. Available on the Google play store and Apple store

Where to find more information about vaccines:

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
Yale Medicine
Information about variants
Der Stand bei den Corona-Impfstoffen
Die wichtigsten Fragen und Antworten zur Corona-Impfung
Zusammengegencorona
How does protein based vaccines work
How does viral vector vaccines work
How does mRNA vaccines work

Vaccination Dashboards

Companies:

Oxford AstraZeneca
Pfizer-BioNTech
Novavax
Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
CureVac

mRNA vs Vector

mRNA Vaccines

What to know: Since no other existing licensed or approved vaccine uses this type of technology, the Messenger RNA (mRNA) variety could be mistaken for something completely new to healthcare. However, a number of mRNA vaccines have been studied in the past for illnesses and diseases including cytomegalovirus (CMV), influenza, rabies, and the Zika virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): “Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. Interest has grown in these vaccines because they can be developed in a laboratory using readily available materials. This means the process can be standardised and scaled up, making vaccine development faster than traditional methods of making vaccines.”

“The COVID-19 RNA vaccine consists of mRNA molecules made in a lab that code for parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – specifically the virus’ spike protein.

Once injected into the body, the mRNA instructs the cells to produce antigens – such as the spike protein mentioned – which are then detected by immune cells, triggering a response by the body’s lymphocytes.

The killer T-cells destroy the infected cells, while the B-cells and helper T-cells support antibody production. Whoever is exposed to the COVID-19 coronavirus in the future would have an immune system that recognises it, and in turn fight off the infection.

Benefits: According to the University of Cambridge’s PHG Foundation, advantages include good safety (since there are no live components, there’s no risk of the vaccine triggering disease), reliability, and that it’s relatively simple to manufacture.

Challenges: Disadvantages include unintended effects (such as an unintended immune reaction), ensuring effective delivery into the body (since free RNA in the body is quickly broken down), storage issues, plus the fact that this type of vaccine has never previously been licensed for humans.”

Non-Replicating Viral Vector Vaccines

What to know: This type of vaccine introduces a safe, modified version of the virus – known as “the vector” – to deliver genetic code for the antigen. In a COVID-19 vaccine, the “vector” is the spike proteins found on the surface of the coronavirus.

Once the body’s cells are “infected”, the cells are instructed to produce a large amount of antigens, which in turn trigger an immune response.

Benefits: Viral vector-based vaccination is another well-established technology that can trigger a strong immune response as it also involves both B cells and T cells.

Challenges: Previous exposure to the vector could reduce effectiveness, plus these types of vaccines are relatively complex to manufacture compared to others.

Sources:

https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/emea/four-types-covid-19-vaccine-snapshot

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/janssen.html

For a weekly report on Corona figures see the RKI