A study published in the medical journal Lancet Infectious Diseases in March revealed that a 62-year-old German man from Magdeburg voluntarily received 217 coronavirus vaccine doses over 29 months. Surprisingly, he displayed “no signs” of being infected with Covid-19 and did not experience any vaccine-related side effects. Doctors described him as “hypervaccinated.” The man cited “private reasons” for his extensive vaccination regimen, as reported by researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg who examined him.
However, his vaccination spree attracted attention, leading to a criminal investigation for suspected fraud. There were concerns that he might have been involved in selling vaccine certificates to individuals who wished to avoid receiving the jab. This investigation was reported by the news magazine Spiegel.
Initial reports about the study, which provided limited information, triggered widespread speculation. There were suggestions that the man might be suffering from paranoid hypochondria, had a possible needle fixation, or could even be a doctor administering vaccines to himself or others. Questions arose regarding whether he funded the vaccinations himself or obtained medical authorization for them.
Subsequent reports confirmed a criminal investigation against the man. He was accused of obtaining numerous doses to collect stamped and signed vaccination cards, which could then be falsified and sold to individuals seeking to evade vaccination and the resulting pandemic-related restrictions.
While a public prosecutor in Magdeburg initiated an investigation into the fraud allegations, authorities confirmed to the researchers that no criminal charges were filed. The academics reached out to the man after learning about him from a newspaper report. He agreed to their request to study his body’s response to the multiple vaccinations.
“We then contacted him and invited him to undergo various tests in Erlangen,” Dr. Kilian Schober stated, noting the man’s keen interest in participating. For the study’s purposes, the researchers administered the 217th vaccination to the man.
The researchers emphasized that while they wouldn’t disclose further details about the man or his motives, his extensive vaccination experience effectively showcased the general tolerability of vaccines. However, they cautioned against emulating his behavior, stating that excessive vaccinations could lead to unpleasant and unnecessary side effects. They stressed that the man’s exceptional tolerance to numerous jabs, coupled with his lack of coronavirus infection, didn’t imply similar outcomes for the broader population.
Professor Dr. Andreas Radbruch, an immunologist and president of the European Federation of Immunological Associations of Experts (EFIS), not involved in the study, highlighted that hypervaccination wouldn’t enhance protection beyond the point where immunological memory was saturated. He explained that once antibodies reached a certain concentration, the immune system ceased producing new antibodies, rendering additional vaccinations ineffective in boosting protection.
Germany’s standing commission on vaccination, Stiko, advises that basic immunity is typically achieved after three encounters with a pathogen, such as one vaccine and two infections, or vice versa. They recommend a top-up coronavirus vaccine every autumn for individuals at risk and everyone over 60 years old.
Relevant articles:
– ‘Hypervaccinated’ man reportedly received 217 Covid jabs without side effects, The Guardian
– Researchers investigate a man who received 217 Covid vaccinations, fau.eu
– A man got 217 COVID-19 vaccinations. Here’s what happened., CBS News