German researchers have examined a man who they reported had received over 200 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine without experiencing any notable side effects on his immune system.
Published in the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases on March 3, 2024, the researchers stated that the Covid-19 vaccine has “good tolerability,” although they noted that this is a unique case of “abnormal booster vaccination.”
WHO previously recommended Covid-19 vaccination and booster doses. (Photo: REUTERS).
The researchers took notice of this individual’s case when German prosecutors launched a fraud investigation, gathering evidence that he had received 130 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine over a period of 9 months—significantly more than the health authorities recommend.
Kilian Schober, one of the study’s authors, stated: “We learned about this person’s case through news articles. We then reached out and invited him to undergo various tests… He was very enthusiastic about participating in the study.”
The man agreed to provide blood samples, including new samples, previous blood test results, and blood samples that had been frozen in recent years.
He indicated that he had received 217 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for “personal reasons.” The German authorities have not filed any criminal charges in connection with this.
Diving deeper into the research, scientists speculated that excessive vaccinations could lead to fatigue in this individual’s immune system.
The vaccine generates memory immune cells that remain on standby, ready to quickly activate the body’s defenses in the event of a viral attack.
However, in practice, researchers found that this individual had more immune cells—known as T cells—than the control group that received the standard three doses of the vaccine.
The scientists also did not detect any signs of fatigue in these cells. They suggested that this might be as effective as those who had received a number of standard Covid-19 vaccine doses.
Katharina Kocher, one of the principal authors of the study, stated: “Overall, we did not find any signs indicating a weaker immune response.”
Even by the time of the 217th dose, researchers noted that the vaccination still had an effect as the levels of antibodies against the Covid-19 virus in this man’s body were still “significantly increasing.”
The researchers mentioned that the man insisted on receiving one more vaccine dose during the study. They collected blood samples to determine how his immune system would respond.
Nonetheless, the researchers cautioned that despite these findings, they “do not endorse excessive booster vaccinations as a strategy to enhance adaptive immunity.”
Although the scientists found no signs that this man had ever contracted Covid-19, they stated that they could not establish a causal relationship between his “enhanced vaccination regimen” and his lack of infection.
Healthcare workers administering Covid-19 vaccines to the public in Berlin, Germany. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN).
Over 60 million people in Germany have been vaccinated against Covid-19, with most of them having received multiple doses.
Germany has launched a Fall vaccination campaign to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, using a single upgraded booster dose for the elderly and those at high risk of severe illness.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany stated that its vaccine advisory board, composed of independent experts, has reiterated the recommendation to administer booster doses only outside the standard Covid-19 vaccination program for certain high-risk groups.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach emphasized that individuals over 60 years old and high-risk groups should receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Ideally, this should be combined with flu vaccination.
