Coronaviruses have been known for decades. As of the turn of the year 2019/2020, a novel coronavirus, SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the pathogen of COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019), has been circulating globally.

Frequent symptoms of COVID-19 include dry cough, fever, shortness of breath, as well as a temporary loss of smell and taste. A general feeling of being unwell accompanied by headaches and aching limbs, sore throat, and sniffles are also depicted. Patients less often report having gastrointestinal problems, conjunctivitis, and swelling of the lymph nodes. Consequential damage to the nerves or cardiovascular system as well as persisting courses of the disease are possible. Although the disease often runs a mild course and most patients fully recover, severe courses of the disease, for example with pneumonia, do occur as well and may result in death.

In addition to avoiding an infection by observing the AHA + A + L rules (maintaining social distance, observing hygiene, masking in day to day life, downloading the corona warning app, frequent ventilation), the vaccine offers the best possible illness protection.

The available COVID-19 vaccines are comparable in terms of efficacy as well as potential vaccine reactions and complications.

According to the current level of knowledge, the COVID-19 vaccines provide a high efficacy rate of approximately 95%. The current study data show that the probability of becoming infected with COVID-19 was approximately 95% lower for those vaccinated against COVID-19 than for those who were not vaccinated. Efficacy in preventing severe COVID-19 disease (that is, hospitalisation, for example) was approximately 85%. This means that if a person vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine comes into contact with the pathogen, there is a high probability that they will not become ill. How long this vaccine protection lasts is not yet known.

Even if you are vaccinated, it is necessary that you continue to observe the AHA + A + L rules and thus protect yourself and your surroundings. The reasons for this are that protection does not start immediately after vaccination, and is also not equally present in all persons who were vaccinated. In addition, whether persons can spread the virus (SARS-CoV-2) despite being vaccinated is currently not possible to say with certainty.

Vaccines differ in particular in their functioning.

The vaccines from Moderna and Biontec are novel mRNA vaccines. This is where the formation of the immune system takes place by incorpoating fragments of the viral material into the body and by reacting to it with the formation of an immune response. This does not change your genetic material.

The vaccines from AstraZeneca an Johnson&Johnson are so-called vector vaccines. Here, harmless viruses are introduced into the human body for humans, which can then form the immune protection. This is a proven and proven method that has been tried and tested for many years and is already used in many other vaccinations.

Another important difference, which is rather secondary for patients, is the different storage and treatment of vaccines. These are factors that must be taken into account in the logistics of vaccination.

In Mülheim an der Ruhr, vaccinations are carried out in many medical practices and in a vaccination center.

In addition, mobile vaccination teams are in the process of carrying out vaccination campaigns at various locations. Residents of old people’s and care facilities are also vaccinated by mobile vaccination teams.

The vaccine is injected into the muscle of the upper arm. This is very quick and almost painless.

A waiting period of 6 months is provided for patients who have already been through COVID-19. Infections that occurred a long time ago have no influence on the vaccination recommendation.