Marcel Levi is an internist, chairman of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and professor of medicine at the University of Amsterdam.
Are the consequences of the declining booster readiness already noticeable?
“No, actually not at all. We notice that the elderly are still willing to take the booster. These are the people who often ended up in hospital with corona. It is mainly younger people who do not feel like another shot like this. But young people benefit longer from their previous vaccinations. In addition, they did not quickly end up in hospital with corona anyway. So I don’t think it’s such a bad thing that booster willingness is declining among young people.”
So the people who don’t want it often don’t need it either?
“Precisely. People who consider themselves vulnerable, such as the over-70s or people with asthma or diabetes, are queuing up to get their last shot.”
Will we not notice that in the corona figures in the long run?
“I do not think so. In any case, you could see all the people who now become infected, but do not get very sick from it, as good news. This means that we are all building up more and more defenses against corona. This also makes us more resistant to new variants.”
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