Why is it so dangerous?- The problem with the immunity certificate explained

In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of Hungarians have received a letter with a serious-looking card that entitles them to basically nothing in the world. Things are now entering a whole new phase, with Prime Minister Orbán slowly opening up the country again. This certificate will be used as an accessory to the opening. A prop that fits into an old socialist-esque comedy can easily become a potentially life-threatening device this way.

But why is that?

According to 444, in addition to the owner’s name, passport and ID number, the vaccination card contains only one relevant information, in the following format:

Az oltás ideje/Date of vaccination

All the coronavirus vaccines used so far have consisted of two vaccination appointments, and the protection that this leaflet would in principle prove would develop about two weeks after the second one. However, only the date of the first injection is printed on the card.

The logistical problem is that, according to general experience, certificates are sent out after the first injection. This is in the particularly dangerous phase when people may feel protected after the first vaccination but many do not even start producing antibodies for weeks after. No one can tell unless you get a blood test for 11,000 forints. The card is a built-in trap because it talks about “the” vaccination as if there were just one, and also no space was left on it to prove that the second vaccination had taken place.

Thus, the document is simply not suitable to reveal the card owner’s level of protection.

This is true for its online version as well. The card contains a QR code which, when viewed with a telephone camera, takes us to a web interface. There, in principle, more information would fit. In reality, the only extra information on this site is that we received that particular vaccine against the SARSCoV-2 disease.

The lack of information is absurd, but the fact that the card does not address the fact of the second vaccination is potentially downright life-threatening.

“I’m overly well-informed about Covid matters, compared to the average citizen anyway, but after tearing open the envelope hiding my ID, even I felt the mental impact of being able to read printed on shiny laminate plastic that I’m protected. Despite knowing that this statement is factually untrue as I have a good few days left until the second vaccination, the administration of which will also not protect me immediately,”

wrote László Szily in his article published on 444.hu

He also asked several acquaintances who had received their second vaccine a long time ago to look at the online interface behind their QR code. The fact of their second vaccination is not recorded on the website either. All but one of the respondents had only the date of their first vaccination there. And for that one exception, only the second date is visible.

Card of the healed

There are two types of immunity certificates. Other than the post-vaccination one discussed so far, a second variety has been created, which is automatically given to those who have previously been confirmed to have contracted the disease.

This is even more misleading than the previous type. Neither the card itself nor the online interface deals with verifying that the person actually has antibodies. This card essentially only states that X had covid and recovered from it, but it is not linked to proof that X had ever developed antibodies in their blood. Meanwhile, it has long been known that many ex-patients never produce any or lose their antibodies very shortly after recovering.

The vaccination card, by comparison, can at least really prove that the owner received at least one vaccine. And there is proven research evidence that for some vaccines, the first dose provides some, sometimes pretty efficient, protection. However, it is important to repeat that, even in the optimal case, it does not mean that the person is protected to the extent provided by the vaccine. And for those who have been vaccinated once, it may easily be the case that they have minimal or no protection.

It is inexplicable why the protection certificate was introduced in this form. In its current version, it is only capable of being shown off, pushing hundreds of thousands of people into a false sense of security, many of whom are not safe at all.

Read alsoThe majority of Hungarians would demand immunity certificates from foreign visitors

Source: 444.hu