Researchers studied a man who reported receiving 217 COVID-19 vaccines, and found he did not have any side effects and had a fully functioning immune system.
The University of Erlangen-Nuremberg recently published its findings in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Of the 217 vaccines the German man claimed to have received, researchers were able to confirm that 134 of the shots were administered.
“We learned about his case via newspaper articles,” said Dr. Kilian Schober from the university's Institute of Microbiology. “We then contacted him and invited him to undergo various tests in Erlangen. He was very interested in doing so.”
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Researchers said blood tests showed that the man had more antibodies against COVID-19 than someone who would have gotten three doses of the shot. Researchers also said the antibodies were similarly effective as those who have gotten a normal amount of COVID-19 vaccines.
Researchers also found no evidence the man had ever been infected with COVID-19, although cautioned it could not be determined whether this was causally related to the hypervaccination regimen.
“The individual has undergone various blood tests over recent years,” said Schober. “He gave us his permission to assess the results of these analyses. In some cases, samples had been frozen, and we were able to investigate these ourselves. We were also able to take blood samples ourselves when the man received a further vaccination during the study at his own insistence. We were able to use these samples to determine exactly how the immune system reacts to the vaccination.”
The study also indicated that the man had a normal immune response to other pathogens.
Researchers say, however, that this study is not a recommendation for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 beyond what is currently recommended.
“Current research indicates that a three-dose vaccination, coupled with regular top-up vaccines for vulnerable groups, remains the favored approach. There is no indication that more vaccines are required," Schober said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends COVID-19 vaccinations for those over 6 months of age.
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