Can a person who has received the vaccine still spread the virus?
Luxembourg disposes of one of the largest testing capacities through its large-scale testing. It could provide answers to this question relatively quickly.
Health care staff could provide first indications
Luxembourg’s vaccinations strategy aims at immunising health care personnel, who are tested every two weeks already, first. If their test results show that this immunised group are attracting the virus at lower rates than people who have not been given the jab, then this could provide a first indication that the vaccination shields against further infections.
A more expansive and thorough study will deliver more information
In order to confidently answer the question above a more expansive study is needed. Thus, it is crucial that ever greater numbers of people are vaccinated. For the time being, the Luxembourgish government cannot order any more doses as the Grand Duchy is bound to the contracts that the EU Commission signed with vaccine suppliers on behalf of its member states. One such contract says:
“By signing the present Agreement, the Participating Member States confirm their participation in the procedure and agree not to launch their own procedures for advance purchase of that vaccine with the same manufacturers.”
However, there are options to acquire additional doses. PM Xavier Bettel has said in a 100.7 interview that research institutes are able to order more vaccine. Thus, Luxembourgish research institutes would be able to get in touch with pharmaceutical companies and place more orders for research purposes and research projects.
Biontech and Pfizer statements
The vaccine from the German company Biontech, produced in collaboration with Pfizer, was the first serum to be approved in the EU. By written request, Biontech said it could not comment whether there was already a research project between the company and Luxembourgish research institutes. In an email, Pfizer said:
“We agree it is very important to understand potential protection from asymptomatic infection, and we hope to have more perspective on this as we continue to follow-up our participants from the Phase 3 trial, and we will also gather information from vaccine post-authorization use.“
It follows that it could be possible for Luxembourg, and for that matter for other European countries too, to acquire additional doses of vaccine in this way.
On request, Ulf Nehrbass, CEO of the Luxembourg Institute of Health, said that his institute and the University of Luxembourg are currently working to find out whether vaccinations can protect from further infections. Discussions on this matter are ongoing.
