Podcast
“important today”
Immunologist Kern: Why we should say goodbye to the idea of herd immunity
In the podcast “today important”, immunologist Peter Kern does away with the myth of herd immunity.
© Walter M. Rammler / Fulda Clinic
If only enough people are vaccinated against Corona, then the others are also protected – a common assumption at the beginning of the pandemic. But we should say goodbye to the idea of herd immunity, says immunologist Peter Kern.
One or two little pikes with Biontech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson – and the whole spook with this pandemic is over. This beautiful idea at the beginning of the corona crisis has probably carried some people through the last few months. But that is at least partly a fallacy. Unfortunately.
Because yes, you protect yourself with a vaccination against the coronavirus and to a certain extent you also protect others. But protecting against infection was never the primary goal of vaccination – a common misconception. Immunologist Prof. Peter Kern knows this mistake all too well: “Vaccinations protect very, very well against serious illness and death. But they do not protect against infection as well. If we only look at the number of infections, then we look at the wrong ones Category.”
Vaccinated infected people are not the problem
Because what really matters is the difference whether someone just becomes infected or suffers from Covid-19: “The goal we have in this pandemic cannot mean that nobody becomes infected. If someone who is infected is only slightly ill , that’s not a problem. Neither for those affected, nor for society. “
The real problem, which puts great stress on the health system and intensive care units, is the serious illnesses and deaths. Because if these intensive care units are overloaded, so-called triage occurs in the worst case, for which the first clinics in Saxony are already preparing: “Triage means that the less sick cannot be cared for in favor of the sicker you only have it once, you can of course only give it to one person – and if two need it, then one has to step back. This is a situation that we otherwise never have, we don’t know it in medicine. “
© TVNOW / Andreas Friese
Podcast “important today”
Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “Today important” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with poise and sometimes uncomfortably. This is what host Michel Abdollahi and his team speak out for star– and RTL reporters: inside with the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, the quiet and the loud. Anyone who hears “important today” starts the day well informed and can have a sound say.
Climate, pensions, inflation – young people’s greatest worries about the future
In addition, we look at the results of the “Jugend in Deutschland” study at “heute important”, which asks 14-29-year-olds every six months what is on their minds and how they would like to shape their living and working world now and in the future . The results show that this youth is not as green as one might expect.
“We see young people willing to try other, more sustainable ways of life. However, we also see that it will not work without a little pressure,” says study author and youth researcher Simon Schnetzer. In addition to the climate crisis, the financial hardships and the associated concerns about pensions are particularly prominent: “We have been hearing for years: The pension is not secure, the pension is not secure. That is bearing fruit among young people.”
How to subscribe to “Important Today”
Don’t miss an episode of “Important Today” and subscribe to our podcast at: Audio Now,Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Castbox or in their favorite podcast app. If you have any questions or suggestions, write to us at [email protected].