Vaccination debate in professional sport: what do experts say about Kimmich's "concerns"?

The debates about a corona vaccination triggered by Bayern professional Joshua Kimmich will continue to occupy German football in the coming week.

Other sports such as ice hockey are currently struggling with numerous infections.

What do experts say about the "concerns" raised by Kimmich?

Scientific consensus is what Carsten Watzl, Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology, put it like this: “What many people obviously understand by long-term consequences, namely that I will be vaccinated today and a side effect will occur next year, that does not exist, has never been and will not occur with the Covid-19 vaccination either. "Cardiologist Jonas Zacher from the German Sport University Cologne told the TV broadcaster Sky:" The probability that unexpected long-term consequences will occur is extremely low, almost null. "He spoke of a “very clear recommendation”: “The risk from a vaccination is much lower than the risk from a Covid 19 infection. Hence a clear vaccination recommendation, also for our national players. "

The chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), Thomas Mertens, also rejected Kimmich's concerns. “Joshua Kimmich is certainly a recognized expert in matters of football, but not an expert in matters of vaccination and vaccines. Nevertheless, with his concerns he expressed a problem that is certainly seen that way by some people in our society, "said Mertens in an interview with the German Press Agency. When a vaccine is released for use in humans, there are accompanying studies that carefully examine whether there could be serious side effects when using it, replied Mertens. "You have to consider that seven billion doses have now been vaccinated on people with Covid-19 vaccine," he said."It is clear that there can be no ten-year observational studies with the use of a vaccine for almost a year." However, this applies not only to every other vaccine that is used again, but also to every new drug.

How safe are the corona vaccines?

Kimmich had justified his decision, among other things, with "concerns, especially about the lack of long-term studies". However, researchers have been working on gene-based mRNA vaccines, which are based on a new type of technology, for decades. The corona pandemic accelerated development enormously: Suddenly there was a lot more money, scientists around the world pounced on the topic. Other vector vaccines also came quickly to market. In Germany, over 100 million and worldwide over six billion doses of corona vaccines have been administered, said Watzl. Therefore, possible rare side effects with vector vaccines such as sinus vein thrombosis are already known. This leads to a blockage of certain veins in the brain. However, the health risks of Covid infections are much, much greater than with vaccinations,said Dirk Brockmann from the Berlin Humboldt University.

How many Bundesliga professionals are vaccinated at all?

The German Football League does not provide any official information, and the clubs are not obliged to publicly disclose the vaccination status of their players.

The outgoing DFL managing director Christian Seifert recently put the quota across all teams at 94 percent.

He also appealed to professionals to get vaccinated: “On the one hand, everyone can decide for themselves, but on the other hand, you also have a professional responsibility towards yourself and your body.

You just make money with your body - and even quite a bit. "

Can a non-vaccinated player play in a stadium where fans are only allowed under 2G conditions (vaccinated or recovered)?

According to the current status: yes.

The DFL concept for the clubs and their employees is an occupational safety concept and coordinated with the employers' liability insurance association.

This hygiene concept is independent of that for the spectators.

This is the responsibility of the clubs in cooperation with the authorities, which are dependent on the guidelines of the country.

Therefore, the DFL has no influence on the specifications for the audience, which also involve concepts for leisure events such as concerts or the like.

Gastronomy is often cited as a striking example: There could be 2G for guests, but the chef may only have to comply with 3G (vaccinated, recovered or tested).

What about other sports?

There are heated and controversial debates, especially in tennis. For example, world number one Novak Djokovic has so far left it open whether he will defend his title in Australia in view of the strict Corona requirements. The 34-year-old Serb has recovered from a corona infection, but does not want to make public whether he has been vaccinated against the virus or not. It was a private matter, Djokovic had emphasized in an interview. The Austrian Dominic Thiem said two weeks ago that he had not yet been vaccinated because he was waiting for a dead vaccine. But if this wasn't available quickly enough, he would resort to another vaccine. According to the professional organization ATP, the proportion of male tennis players vaccinated is around 65 percent.The German Ice Hockey League (DEL) is particularly affected at the moment: After the numerous cases at EHC Red Bull Munich and the Düsseldorfer EG, the Iserlohn Roosters could not play on Sunday because of a positive corona test. Before the start of the season, the basketball Bundesliga said that all but one player in all teams had been fully vaccinated.