German politician, Karl Lauterbach, has stressed the importance of vaccination in preventing long-term damage caused by Covid-19. Lauterbach, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), stated that Covid infection is not a mild illness and should not be taken lightly. He particularly emphasized the need for people over 60, as well as those with risk factors, to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of developing Long Covid.
The 60-year-old politician received a jab of the BionTech vaccine, which has been adapted to the current virus variants, on Monday. This adapted vaccine is expected to provide better protection against circulating variants, including the Omicron subline virus XBB.1.5.
Lauterbach also reassured the population that there is already broad immunity in Germany. He stated that no additional measures, such as contact restrictions, are currently necessary based on the existing knowledge about the virus. However, he advised people with risk factors to continue taking precautions, such as wearing masks in crowded spaces.
Lars Schaade, the acting president of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), mentioned that the XBB subline variants are currently circulating. He clarified that there is no international evidence linking these variants to more severe forms of the disease.
In conclusion, Lauterbach called for people to protect each other voluntarily by following preventive measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing when needed.
Vocabulary:
– Vaccine – (der) Impstoff
– Shot – (die) Spritze
– Contact restrictions – (die) Kontaktbeschränkungen
– Immunity – (die) Immunität
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