July 14, 2023 - 4:00pm
In January, German Minister for Health Karl Lauterbach announced that he would be setting up a €100 million programme for research into long Covid and post-vaccination injuries, as well as support for those afflicted. Initial hope, however, has given way to disappointment — and anger — after Lauterbach revealed on Wednesday that the programme has been significantly scaled back to around €40 million euros under the German government’s new austerity drive. Of these, only €200,000 has been earmarked for advisory assistance.
Lauterbach has been referred to as “Germany’s Fauci”, having adopted an aggressively pro-lockdown and pro-vaccination mandate stance during the pandemic. Yet back in March, the politician caused shockwaves when he admitted in a TV interview that he had downplayed the risks of the Covid vaccines, which he had previously described as “without side effects”.
He acknowledged that vaccine-induced injuries are a serious issue, and that his ministry was planning to launch a programme to investigate the negative consequences of Covid vaccination. Of particular interest was what in the German context is known as post-vac syndrome — post-vaccination symptoms similar to long Covid, or what some call “long vax”.
It was the first time a major Western politician acknowledged what had until then been a taboo subject, especially at the height of the mass vaccination drive: the possible existence of vaccine side effects and long Covid–like symptoms after vaccination. Since then, researchers and journalists have slowly started to catch up. For instance, a recent article in the journal Science noted that “a rare link between coronavirus vaccines and Long Covid-like illness [is starting] to gain acceptance”.
Over the past two years, 340,000 cases of suspected vaccine side effects — and more than 50,000 suspected serious cases — have reportedly accumulated in the German health ministry’s system. By March, the health authorities had received more than 6,500 applications for recognition of damage caused by a Covid-19 vaccination. Germany is also responsible for over 50% of all post-vac cases reported worldwide, 1,452 out of a total of 2,657. It’s a tiny number, but that’s also because it’s a phenomenon about which we know very little.
Considering that 65 million people worldwide, more than a million in Germany alone, are alleged to suffer from long Covid (about which we also know very little: a recent study found that half of Long Covid sufferers have never actually had Covid) the actual number of post-vac sufferers is likely to be significantly higher. But until more research is done, it will be hard to know.
Sufferers and advocacy groups are outraged by Lauterbach’s recent about-turn. “I’m no longer disappointed: I’m appalled. People are helpless”, said Ricarda Piepenhagen, the founder of Nicht genesen (“Not recovered”), a support initiative for those suffering from long Covid and post-vac syndrome. Dozens of messages popped up on Piepenhagen’s mobile phone during the Health Minister’s press conference. The community of those affected is deeply disappointed, and feels betrayed by the politicians.
Thomas Fazi is an UnHerd columnist and translator. His latest book is The Covid Consensus, co-authored with Toby Green.
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SubscribeThere was also an incongruity in that the groups claiming to have ‘long Covid’ were not the ones likely to have gotten it particularly badly in the first place. Teenage girls seemed over-represented, if I remember right.
Same with the Trans phenomenon. If that demographic wasn’t so essential to the sex industry I’d recommend its abolition
What would incels do then?
What would incels do then?
Same with the Trans phenomenon. If that demographic wasn’t so essential to the sex industry I’d recommend its abolition
There was also an incongruity in that the groups claiming to have ‘long Covid’ were not the ones likely to have gotten it particularly badly in the first place. Teenage girls seemed over-represented, if I remember right.
Yea, I reckon Long Covid might be a made up condition… but covid did really mess me up. My right foot still randomly goes numb, (something that began after I tested positive for corona virus.) I also had terrible chest pain and fatigue for months after. I was never a covid extremist, am a skeptic, and surrounded by skeptics. So, if “long haul covid” is a mind virus, it’s a bloody convincing one. Just ask my numb right foot.
Yea, I reckon Long Covid might be a made up condition… but covid did really mess me up. My right foot still randomly goes numb, (something that began after I tested positive for corona virus.) I also had terrible chest pain and fatigue for months after. I was never a covid extremist, am a skeptic, and surrounded by skeptics. So, if “long haul covid” is a mind virus, it’s a bloody convincing one. Just ask my numb right foot.
I have tried to post this article to Twitter but it has been refused!
Anyone else had this problem?
Maybe Fazi got banned for misinformation?
Maybe Fazi got banned for misinformation?
I have tried to post this article to Twitter but it has been refused!
Anyone else had this problem?
I don’t doubt that the Covid vaccination has caused side effects, some of them serious, even fatal, all medicines do. However, there is also a large psychological aspect just as there was with the “MMR causes autism” affair.
In that case, the vaccine was administered to small children at precisely the age where the symptoms of autism start to become apparent. The human brain is programmed to seek connections and worried parents naturally connected the vaccine with their child’s diagnosis. The only connection was temporal.
Likewise, thousands of people become ill with nebulous symptoms every day and, at the height of the vaccination programme, tens of thousands of people were being vaccinated daily. So there was inevitably a degree of temporal correlation but, as we all know, correlation is not causation. Let’s just concentrate on ensuring people get the care they need, regardless of the origin of their condition.
I don’t doubt that the Covid vaccination has caused side effects, some of them serious, even fatal, all medicines do. However, there is also a large psychological aspect just as there was with the “MMR causes autism” affair.
In that case, the vaccine was administered to small children at precisely the age where the symptoms of autism start to become apparent. The human brain is programmed to seek connections and worried parents naturally connected the vaccine with their child’s diagnosis. The only connection was temporal.
Likewise, thousands of people become ill with nebulous symptoms every day and, at the height of the vaccination programme, tens of thousands of people were being vaccinated daily. So there was inevitably a degree of temporal correlation but, as we all know, correlation is not causation. Let’s just concentrate on ensuring people get the care they need, regardless of the origin of their condition.
I suspect both these ‘cases’ will fall into the same category of people who can convince themselves of anything.
I tentatively disagree. A friend of mine who took the vaccine, and was more than happy to do so at the time, suffered a stroke shortly afterwards. Although he can’t prove a direct connection, his was not an isolated case.
i also had to see a doctor the day after I took my vaccine as the nerves all along my lower back had become highly inflamed, rendering me near-immobile. Again, I can’t directly link it to the vaccine, but I think the two are connected.
However, many more people took the vaccine shots and suffered, as of yet, no negative side-effects, so who knows?
I don’t dispute your version, as they were relatively immediate these things don’t seem to fall into this ‘long-vax’ category however. btw always bend the knees.
Something similar with my dad. He had been very healthy all his life, but around the time he had the covid vaccine, not long afterwards suffered with heart problems.
Caveat – his dad had a small hole in his heart all his life, but went to India and Burma in WW2 and died 89 with no heart problems. My dad’s issue was mitral valves stopped working properly at age 76, but just a few months before that he had been hill walking in Italy in 30 degree heat.
As you say, it’s incredibly difficult to separate the different issues and prove a link either way.
I don’t dispute your version, as they were relatively immediate these things don’t seem to fall into this ‘long-vax’ category however. btw always bend the knees.
Something similar with my dad. He had been very healthy all his life, but around the time he had the covid vaccine, not long afterwards suffered with heart problems.
Caveat – his dad had a small hole in his heart all his life, but went to India and Burma in WW2 and died 89 with no heart problems. My dad’s issue was mitral valves stopped working properly at age 76, but just a few months before that he had been hill walking in Italy in 30 degree heat.
As you say, it’s incredibly difficult to separate the different issues and prove a link either way.
I tentatively disagree. A friend of mine who took the vaccine, and was more than happy to do so at the time, suffered a stroke shortly afterwards. Although he can’t prove a direct connection, his was not an isolated case.
i also had to see a doctor the day after I took my vaccine as the nerves all along my lower back had become highly inflamed, rendering me near-immobile. Again, I can’t directly link it to the vaccine, but I think the two are connected.
However, many more people took the vaccine shots and suffered, as of yet, no negative side-effects, so who knows?
I suspect both these ‘cases’ will fall into the same category of people who can convince themselves of anything.