A 62-year-old man from Magdeburg, Germany, has made headlines for becoming possibly the most vaccinated person in history after receiving a staggering 217 COVID-19 vaccine doses. Despite defying medical advice and getting vaccinated multiple times, the man reported no side effects from any of the shots, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Initially coming to researchers’ attention in 2022 after getting 90 jabs, the man continued to voluntarily receive additional doses, totaling 217 shots from eight different COVID vaccines over a period of 29 months. Speculation arose that the man may have been collecting completed vaccination cards for fraudulent purposes, but no criminal charges were filed following an investigation by the public prosecutor in Magdeburg.
The German-led research team, including virologist Kilian Schober from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, seized the opportunity to study the effects of hyper-vaccination on the man’s immune system. Contrary to some theories suggesting reduced effectiveness of immune cells with repeated vaccinations, the man exhibited higher concentrations of immune cells and antibodies for the COVID virus compared to a control group.
Surprisingly, the man’s body showed no signs of fatigue from the numerous vaccinations, with each shot continuing to boost his antibodies against COVID. He never experienced any vaccine-related side effects and never tested positive for the virus or showed signs of past infection. The researchers cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from this unique case and emphasized that hypervaccination is not endorsed.
Caitjan Gainty, an expert in vaccine history at King’s College London, expressed amazement at the man’s record-breaking vaccination count, stating that it is highly unlikely that anyone in history has received more shots. Virologist Spyros Lytras from the University of Tokyo also noted the unprecedented nature of the case, considering the man as potentially the most vaccinated individual reported to date.
While the German man’s experience sheds light on the immune response to multiple vaccinations, the researchers advised against extrapolating widely from his situation. The case serves as a rare opportunity to study hyper-vaccination, but caution should be exercised in interpreting the findings.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
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