Five Reasons to Get Vaccinated

Christoph Berger, according to the latest figures of the Federal Office of Public Health, more than 550 people in Switzerland have become infected with coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated. Given the highly infectious Delta variant, is it worth getting vaccinated at all?

Christoph Berger: We need to take into account the following: The Delta variant that’s dominating now is much more transmissible than the original virus, and it has replaced previous variants. Statistically speaking, the vaccines approved in Switzerland still provide very good protection, even against the Delta variant. While they can’t completely prevent infections from happening, people who are vaccinated and get infected tend to have much milder symptoms and are protected against severe Covid-19.

Young people such as students rarely suffer severe cases. Should they still get vaccinated?

Yes, because it’s important to keep the level of virus circulation as low as possible. As soon as people start coming together again and spend more time indoors, infections will go up. Getting vaccinated also helps to protect older people and those with underlying health conditions who are more vulnerable. I also see getting vaccinated as a social thing. By getting vaccinated, you’re not only protecting yourself, but also your family, friends, fellow students and flatmates.

Average daily cases are fairly low at the moment, so there’s no urgency, or is there?

Cases are currently rising. Those who are fully vaccinated are best protected against the virus. There’s around a six-week gap in between the first and second shots. The semester begins in mid-September, so if you want to enjoy university life and be protected, you should get vaccinated right about now. The university is also providing vaccination buses that allow for walk-in vaccinations. (see box on the right)

Some people worry about the side effects, including the immune response after getting the jab, or the long-term effects, which are still unknown. How do you view these concerns regarding the new mRNA vaccine?

When it comes to new diseases such as Covid-19 and new vaccines, it’s not possible to know all the side effects at the time the vaccine is approved. But hundreds of millions of people have now already been vaccinated. Many people experience side effects, especially in the days following the second dose, but severe reactions are very rare. Many years of experience with various vaccines have shown that most of the harmful effects of a vaccination occur shortly after getting the jab.

Some of the concerns surrounding the Covid-19 vaccines have to do with the mRNA technology, which has never before been used in the field of vaccination. But you have to keep in mind that this technology isn’t actually new. It is based on more than 10 years of research and large-scale vaccination studies. (More information on mRNA technology in the box below.)

Does vaccination also provide protection against long Covid? 

Yes, of course. Long Covid severely affects the lives of those suffering from the disease. A few out of a hundred people who test positive for coronavirus have a very slow recovery and develop what is called fatigue syndrome. People who suffer from this barely manage to cope with everyday life or their studies for weeks, or even months.

Can getting vaccinated give you back some of your freedom, for good?

If everyone got vaccinated, the freedom we’d get back would be huge, especially for students.  Student life shouldn’t be about sitting on your bed and joining a course on Zoom! Everything is limited, there are no group projects, no semesters abroad, no internships, no jobs, no parties. Those are massive restrictions. We all want to get our freedom back, but that’s only possible if more people get vaccinated.

Universities can’t and won’t require their staff and students to get vaccinated. Vaccination should and will remain voluntary. But the best way to make sure that teaching can continue to take place on site as planned is for as many people as possible to be vaccinated. Imagine a scenario where a few people in the lecture hall infect others with the Delta variant. This would restart the cycle of quarantine and absences. As an instructor and a father of students, I would like the semester to take place fully on campus. I don’t want to have another year like the last one.

Summary: Five Reasons to Get Vaccinated:

1: It protects you and those around you.

2: The pandemic is not to be underestimated, especially given the Delta variant.

3: It helps you avoid long Covid.

4: It increases the chance of on-site lectures, courses and campus life returning for good.

5: Getting vaccinated is the best way to get back freedom and return to normal life.