The autumn wave of coronavirus is sweeping across Germany. Those affected mainly suffer from coughs, colds, sore throats and fever, but also from headaches, aching limbs, general weakness and shortness of breath. Because new SARS-CoV-2 variants and subtypes are constantly emerging, coronavirus vaccines must be constantly adapted, similar to influenza viruses.
Currently, the virus variant omicron JN.1 and its sub-lineages KP.2 and KP.
3 are predominant. Since August this year, the vaccine named Comirnaty omicron JN.1 from BioNTech/Pfizer, which has been adapted to the current variants, has been on the market in Germany.
A study by the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) has now scientifically proven the effectiveness of the new omicron booster. In cooperation with the German Primate Centre in Göttingen, the researchers have published the first article on this topic in The Lancet Infectious Diseases . The blueprint of the spike protein The new booster is another mRNA vaccine, so it consists of messenger RNA.
The principle: the mRNA contains the genetic information for the blueprint of the so-called spike protein, which sits on the surface of the coronavirus and helps the virus enter cells. The immune system recognizes the protein as foreign, triggers a defense reaction and develops immune protection . Comirnaty omicron JN.
1 is a so-called monoclonal vaccine, i.e., it contains only mRNA from this omicron variant.
At the end of June, th.
