Dear Dr. Dr. Scherer, you have already given us an interview about coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), when only the virus started spreading around the world in March 2020 (read here). Unfortunately, this virus and the disease COVID-19 are still being felt around the world. As a biologist who studies pathogens, how do you see the potential development of the COVID-19 situation? in the world in the next 20 years?
COVID-19 virus is new to most people. Although there have been cases of infection with a nearly identical virus for about 20 years, they have only occurred in parts of Asia. This means that most people are not yet immune to the COVID-19 vi-virus. That will change in the next few years. Humanity is adapting to this virus in the same way that it adapted, for example, to the influenza vi-virus (Influenza). That is, the immunity of the population will grow. Perhaps in a few years we will have the same situation with the corona virus as we have today with the influenza virus.
Adaptation to such pathogens is based on an ingenious immune system, which the Creator gave not only to man, but to all living beings. If the Creator had not provided us with an immune system, we would not have been able to survive at all.
Sounds hopeful. Can the COVID-19 vaccine actually defeat the virus and bring back the «good old days»? How feasible is it?
COVID-19 vaccination is, in my opinion, an important factor in limiting the virus. However, for various reasons, we will probably not be able to eradicate it completely, as was the case with influenza. But it is possible to significantly reduce the number of people who become infected with COVID-19. Nevertheless, I believe that there will continue to be fatal cases. The number will depend mainly on how well we can protect the vulnerable segments of our population, in part through vaccination. This is especially true for the elderly and people with previous illnesses.
The purpose of vaccination is to prepare an immune response to a specific virus. How exactly does this work in conventional vaccines?
Several vaccines against coronavirus are currently in development. Many of these vaccines are built on traditional principles. For example, adenovirus is genetically modified so that it can form a small, harmless portion of the pathogen against which protection is required. This modified, relatively harmless adenovirus is grown by pharmaceutical companies in chicken eggs or in so-called cell cultures, purified and injected into the patient during vaccination. Our immune system then also recognizes the adenovirus part of the pathogen and forms an immune response (antibody formation). If a person later becomes infected with the pathogen, our immune system is already very well prepared and can quickly neutralize the pathogen: either the person does not get sick at all or the disease is milder.
So how is the new mRNA (matrix ribonucleic acid) vaccine technology different?
With the new RNA vaccines, so-called mRNA, which is the «assembly instructions» for the coronavirus particle, is injected into the human body. Human cells use this blueprint to produce the innocuous coronavirus particle. Our immune system reacts and produces an immune response against it, i.e. antibodies are also produced here. If a vaccinated person is actually attacked by the coronavirus in the future, they will be able to defend themselves against it very quickly.
Is it known how mRNA vaccines are produced?
Yes, this information is common knowledge and available. There is nothing mysterious about it.
How long does the mRNA of the virus remain in the human body after vaccination?
Injected mRNA is cleaved in the human body within about two days. This cleavage process is very well known and is one of the normal biochemical mechanisms operating in every human cell.
Interesting. So, after mRNA vaccination, the virus does not stay in the human body permanently, but only for a few days. Then what happens to the antibodies formed against the coronavirus?
Antibodies against COVID-19 remain in the body for several months. Over time, the concentration of these antibodies decreases. However, we retain special cells of the immune system that remember this virus for a long time. Thus, immunity is maintained for a longer period of time. However, we do not yet know exactly how long the antibodies persist and how long the memory cells persist.
The mRNA technology currently used in the COVID-19 vaccine is new. To what extent have the uses and implications of this technology already been investigated?
Although the use of mRNA vaccines is new, some experience with this technology has been gained over the past few years. It is true that the first mRNA-based vaccines have only recently been approved. But based on controlled studies on more than 100,000 vaccinated people it is known that this vaccine has no currently recognizable side effects that are not yet known for other vaccines. This is also fully confirmed by the patients vaccinated in the current vaccination programs, of which there are already about three million in Israel alone.
However, since the vaccine is only administered for a short time, it is not known whether there could be late side effects. Based on the information available to me, I assume that possible late side effects would not be fundamentally different from those seen in very rare cases with classical vaccines. But, to say for sure, you'll have to be patient.
Can we say that the vaccine authorization procedures were rushed and not careful enough?
As far as I know, all important safety aspects have been taken into account, despite the fact that the authorization was granted unprecedentedly quickly. However, there is one weakness: it has not yet been possible to investigate possible late side effects.
This is probably because it usually takes decades to study all the long-term effects of vaccination. But you still think that the risk of late effects with mRNA vaccination is not higher than with conventional vaccination against other viruses?
I see no reason why new vaccines should produce special late effects that will be different from the single late effects of other vaccines. However, we won't know for sure until a few years from now.
There are already numerous rumors and even conspiracy theories circulating on the subject, which creates a certain amount of uncertainty in people.
Yes, unfortunately there are actually a lot of rumors and conspiracy theories going around. It's very sad and it happens again and again when people are afraid or don't feel understood in their fears - including by the government. But I'm not embarrassed by it.
For example, is it possible that coronavirus vaccinations implant electronic chips into humans?
No, it's just a rumor.
Then what are the real risks of vaccination against COVID-19?
It is more accurate to talk about side effects. In general, there are a number of side effects of vaccination. It can't be otherwise, because the purpose of the vaccine is to trigger an immune system response. These often involve mild inflammation at the injection site, sometimes redness and swelling, sometimes also fever, joint pain or a feeling of weakness. This is normal and these symptoms usually go away very quickly. This is exactly what is seen with the corona vaccination.
About eight weeks ago, I was vaccinated against Herpes Zoster virus, as well as the flu virus, and before that, at the end of the summer, against some bacteria. When I was vaccinated against the Herpes Zoster virus, I clearly observed the aforementioned side effects in myself, both with the first and second dose. This indicated to me that the vaccination was successful, then I took a day of physical rest and rested, after which the symptoms disappeared.
However, there is no hiding the fact that in very rare cases vaccinations can also have serious side effects, which in this case are real risks in the true sense of the word. In the case of the corona vaccination, for example, severe side effects have been observed in allergic people. Therefore, true allergy sufferers should not be vaccinated.
It has now also been shown that vaccination can be risky for very elderly and seriously ill people, even leading to isolated deaths, such as in Norway. But even in this respect, to my knowledge, the new SRAS-CoV-2 vaccine is no different from other vaccines. In any case, ask your doctor if vaccination is recommended in your case.
As a general rule, no medical procedure is completely risk-free. Therefore, it is necessary to weigh the risk associated with vaccination against the risk of getting sick without vaccination.
But a lot of people have allergies. For example, I have a hay runny nose and pollen allergy in spring. Should I not be vaccinated against COVID-19 in this case?
By now we only know to be careful if you have already had an allergic shock reaction. Then it can become dangerous. Hay fever or food intolerance is not an obstacle.
That is, with the exception of people who have already suffered allergic shock, this vaccination is harmless. Can we also say that this vaccine cannot cause COVOD-19 disease itself, aggravate other chronic diseases, or cause organ failure?
In no case can vaccination lead to coronavirus disease, this is excluded. As mentioned above, elderly people with severe pre-existing illnesses should consult their family physician before any vaccination; this also applies to coronavirus vaccination.
Is this vaccination compatible with other vaccines, especially for older adults? That is, if you were already vaccinated against influenza, pneumonia, and herpes a few months ago, does it make sense to get vaccinated against COVID-19 now, or will it be too taxing on your immune system?
As far as I know, there should be enough time between two vaccinations, a few months is not a problem. Again, it depends on the type of vaccination and also on your personal health, your family doctor can judge this well.
How likely is it that an mRNA vaccine can alter human DNA?
For chemical reasons, injected mRNA cannot cause a direct change in human DNA. However, mRNA can be «rewritten» into DNA by special enzymes derived from other viruses. This process is unlikely, but it can also alter human DNA.
By the way, adenoviruses (i.e. some common vaccines) inject large amounts of viral DNA into humans. No changes in human DNA have ever been observed. But even if there were changes in human DNA, they would not be harmful - according to everything we know about it so far.
In other words, DNA changes in humans as a result of mRNA vaccination are highly unlikely. But what exactly do you mean by «harmless» if we are talking about possible changes in our DNA? Do such «harmless changes» often occur in human DNA?
Yes, our DNA changes all the time, but with a low probability. It happens for example in some viral infections or through the DNA of the plants and animals we eat. Our body was designed by the Creator in such a way that we can handle such DNA changes very well, as far as I know, I don't see any potential danger here.
It is claimed that young women can become infertile due to antibodies produced by the mRNA vaccine.
To my knowledge there is no known scientific evidence for this claim. Incidentally, this is also true of the antibodies that humans produce during natural SARS-CoV-2 infection. In 40,000 pregnant women in the US who tested positive for coronavirus, no particular pregnancy complications were observed.
Is it true that cells from aborted human embryos are used to create SARS-Cov-2 vaccines?
No, this method is not fundamentally applicable to mRNA vaccines.
The human kidney cell line «HEK 293», derived in 1973 from a female embryo aborted in Holland, is sometimes used to produce viruses required for vaccination in conventional vaccines. I understand that this is the case for the coronavirus vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, CanSino and Gamaleya.
In 1973 in Holland, abortions were allowed only if the mother's life was in danger, but the circumstances of the girl's abortion were unknown. It is everyone's personal ethical decision to accept for themselves a vaccine produced on this basis.
Are there good reasons to completely abandon mRNA vaccination and wait for the classical vaccination against COVID-19? Or are there reasons to prefer mRNA vaccination?
There are already vaccines against coronavirus that are conventionally produced. Personally, based on current scientific findings, I believe that an mRNA vaccine is preferable to a conventionally produced vaccine.
What do you think about the Russian vaccine Sputnik 5 and will it be possible to vaccinate with this substance in Germany?
The Sputnik 5 vaccine is a vaccine produced according to classical methods. It uses a genetically modified, harmless adenovirus. Once the vaccine is approved by the German authorities (which will probably be considered in February), nothing can be said against this vaccine due to safety aspects, as far as I know. Again, a family doctor should be consulted beforehand here.
Should I volunteer to be vaccinated against COVID-19?
On the one hand, it is a matter of personal risk assessment. It is well known that people aged 60 years and older sometimes have to fear a severe course of the disease if infected with COVID-19. A very large number of deaths from COVID-19 occur in the over-75 age group. Therefore, I recommend that these people should be vaccinated if their physician agrees.
I am of medium risk due to my age and pre-existing conditions, and will be vaccinated with the mRNA vaccine in the near future. I am convinced that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
On the other hand, one should also think about the positive effects of the vaccine in that the vaccinated person probably largely ceases to be a carrier of the coronavirus and thus protects the people around them.
As people of faith, we can certainly applaud medical advances. Personally, I would not be alive today if it were not for high-tech medicine in our country. As a Christian, I believe that God has given us our minds so that through science, among other things, we can develop medical techniques that can protect and save lives. So I thank God for the medical facilities that are available to us in our country.
Do you think vaccination will become mandatory - officially or unofficially?
At present, German politicians are virtually unanimous in their promise that this will not happen. I naturally expect the government to keep these promises. Personally, I do not believe that this situation with COVID-19 requires the introduction of «compulsory» vaccination for medical reasons.
The last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, sees a world in our future in which all people are governed in such a way that «no one can buy or sell unless he has a sign, namely, the name of the beast or the number of his name» (Rev. 13:17). As a follower of Joshua, How likely do you think it is that the current situation will lead to such a future?
Personally, I believe that the Revelation of the Apostle John predicts spiritually important aspects of the future world. Some of it has already happened, some of it is yet to come. Now we can already imagine what it might look like technically when «no one can buy or sell.» But in my opinion, this has nothing to do with COVID-19. I believe it has much more to do with the abolition of cash as planned by some interest groups. Once we reach the point where we can only pay electronically, i.e. by credit card or bank card or cell phone or with actual electronic chips implanted under the skin, then we will be subject to total electronic control: Then, with the click of a mouse, our bank account could be blocked and, from one moment to the next, we would no longer be able to buy groceries, we would no longer be able to use the subway, and we would no longer be able to get gasoline at the gas station. This possibility of control may seem harmless at first glance in a democracy, but it can very easily be used by dictatorial states to control people completely.
That is why I strongly and emphatically oppose the abolition of cash in our country; I find such plans extremely disturbing and very dangerous.
I think we can increasingly see at least some of the events predicted in Revelation looming on the horizon of world history. But God, He is the Lord of history. As people of faith, we have no reason to be afraid because Yeshua said, when speaking of the end times, «When these things begin to come true, straighten your backs and lift up your heads-your deliverance is near!» (Luke 21:28). I thank God for the marvelous hope He has given us in His Word, and I look forward to the future with confidence and joy because Yeshua, our Lord, is coming!
