Eckart von Hirschhausen made himself available for a corona vaccination study. In an interview, he explains what concerns he had.
"The vaccination is definitely our strongest tool in the fight against the coronavirus," says doctor and science journalist Eckart von Hirschhausen (53) in an interview with the news agency spot on news. But how are the vaccines tested? How safe is it to be used? And what are the side effects? Exactly these questions are the focus of the documentary "Hirschhausen as vaccination test person" (February 1st, 8:15 pm, the first).
For the film, von Hirschhausen made himself available as a test subject for a clinical vaccination study at Cologne University Hospital. Like the other participants, he goes through all the steps from educational talks and physical examinations to taking blood and vaccination with a vaccine that has not yet been approved or a placebo (drug without active ingredient) to the follow-up examination. The television team is present at all appointments, encounters and interviews.
In an interview, Eckart von Hirschhausen explains why he does this, whether the injection hurt and why vaccination is generally such a sensitive topic.
You have been a subject in a clinical vaccination study since December 22nd. Why are you participating?
Eckart von Hirschhausen: As a doctor in paediatrics, 25 years ago I saw what a blessing effective vaccinations are and I have also vaccinated children myself. Since then I have followed the discussions, have been on expert committees, attend congresses and am shocked by how persistent many myths are. That is why I thought about what my contribution could be, so that we do not throw the vaccination start in Germany into the sand through knowledge gaps and mistrust.
What gave you the most headache beforehand?
von Hirschhausen: I actually hesitated for a moment, because logically a vaccine that has been around for 20 years is better understood than a new one. That's why I spoke to many experts, some of whom also appear in the film, such as Professor Marylyn Addo, one of the world's best infectologists and a study doctor herself, Volker Stollorz from the Science Media Center, or (Prof. Dr.) Karl Lauterbach (57, Member of the Bundestag , Red.), Who is really very familiar with the current studies and Cornelia Betsch, the expert on vaccination communication.
The information provided by Professor Clara Lehmann to all study participants at Cologne University Hospital was also very good. Everyone explained the process to me and advised it to the best of their knowledge and belief. I could say 'no' at any point in time. But I haven't.
How exciting was the vaccination appointment?
von Hirschhausen: That was of course an emotional moment …
Did it hurt?
von Hirschhausen: The vaccination is comparable to a mosquito bite. It pokes, a little liquid gets under the skin, and the area turns red. And after two days, the body's reaction is over. The cannulas are so thin that you can hardly feel them.
Do you know by now whether it was a real vaccine or a placebo that you were vaccinated with?
von Hirschhausen: No, I don't know, the doctor who vaccinated me doesn't know either. I only know my number: I am subject 20. The principle of so-called double blinding is important because many "side effects" are experienced simply because you pay more attention to your body. I have had pain in my shoulder and upper arm for the past few weeks "Frozen shoulder", which is quite annoying and often, is what I had before the vaccination, but if the pain had appeared out of nowhere after the vaccination, I would immediately have suspected the vaccination was the decisive factor.
To avoid such misallocations, there are three important principles in studies: as many people as possible, randomization into the groups, and blinding. So that many people understand how much effort, detailed work and professionalism are behind a study, I am doing this program together with the WDR and the production company Bilderfest. In addition, I'm better off 50 percent involved in a good cause than 100 percent in a bad one, i.e. an unprotected corona infection.
Why is vaccination such a sensitive topic in general?
von Hirschhausen: Many people don't like syringes. The oral vaccination on a sugar cube had it easier. Many fear that the syringe will violate their physical integrity. It literally gets under our skin. We forget that every breath violates our physical integrity. We constantly breathe in fine dust, pathogens and lots of foreign genetic information. Every piece of meat and every piece of vegetable contains a lot of DNA.
Our immune system does not really care how a pathogen or the blueprint for part of the pathogen – and that is precisely the vaccination – comes into contact with us. For the lymph node, in which the immune system trains its cells, it is irrelevant whether something in the blood was delivered via the lungs or the upper arm muscle. That is why the vaccination at its core only turns a random process that someone coughs up aerosols into a targeted, predictable and safe process. I know what I prefer. But I also understand that people are afraid when no one has explained it to them that way.
As a former doctor in paediatrics, you have known the discussions about vaccination for many years. Did you expect the topic to be so topical again?
von Hirschhausen: Not in this form. But if we want to take something away from this pandemic, it is the thought that we have to think about health globally. A virus does not ask for a visa to cross national borders. Just as little as a C02 molecule in the atmosphere asks from which country it came. The three major global crises are very closely related: The pandemic is the result of the destruction of the natural habitats of wild animals. Eight million people die each year from air pollution, and lungs that have to breathe dirt are also much more susceptible to corona.
Climate protection and animal welfare are also health protection, if we have learned that from last year, at least it was good for something.
How great is your personal fear of contracting the virus and contracting Covid-19?
von Hirschhausen: Of course this fear is there. And since my first WDR documentary "Hirschhausen auf Intensiv" I have also been particularly aware of the difficult things that can happen. That's why I flinch every day when it says: More than 1000 dead yesterday, because then I think of the circumstances under which many die – often alone in old people's homes, but also younger people in intensive care units.
In the new documentary you also speak to one of the first Covid 19 patients in the Bonn region (Jörg Pütz). Why was that important to you?
von Hirschhausen: Jörg Pütz plays an important role for me because I got to know him and his family in the first wave, when I was shooting the first documentary in the intensive care unit of the Bonn University Hospital for a week. His family touched me very much because because of the ban on visiting, they gathered every day on the meadow in front of the intensive care unit so that they could be close to their husband and father, who had been ventilated for weeks.
Against all expectations, Jörg Pütz has recovered and can walk, speak and laugh again. The family has agreed to go with me to this special place again, which has very upset everyone. I have great respect for their courage to share their pain and experiences with others. You do this out of conviction in order to provide educational work, and as a thank you and out of compassion for the people who are currently in the intensive care units, as patients or employees.
Will "the vaccinations end this time", as Jörg Pütz would like?
von Hirschhausen: The vaccination is definitely our strongest tool in the fight against the coronavirus. And to put it clearly: It is a sensation that we already have vaccines so quickly, with full approval according to all the rules, no emergency approval as in other countries. But as everyone knows, there is not enough capacity in front and behind. That is why we still need a great many new vaccines, especially those that work for countries without a lot of money and cold chains. If I can make a small contribution to this, I will gladly do it and hold out my arm twice.