The doctor and epidemiologist Berit Lange from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, who has just been appointed to the STIKO, talks about a breath of fresh air in this committee, lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic and an often underestimated disease.
Congratulations on your appointment to the STIKO! Did you expect this award?
To be honest, the appointment was not entirely unexpected. I received a letter last December asking whether I could imagine taking on such a job. So I was forewarned, so to speak – but of course I still have great respect for this task.
How long has this committee been in existence?
STIKO was founded in 1972, over half a century ago. Many parents are familiar with its recommendations as a basis for deciding which vaccinations their children should receive, but some people have only recently become aware of them in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. STIKO is politically independent and the researchers work for it on a voluntary basis. There are various working groups in this body, for example the “Influenza Working Group” or the “Measles, Mumps, Rubella Working Group”, which prepare the individual recommendations. The members contribute their respective expertise.
Are there frequent changes of members?
In the last three-year appointment periods, there were always new members. In 2023, the maximum number of appointment periods has now been limited to three. I personally think this makes sense. It is sometimes necessary to be able to bring additional and new expertise into this body. At the same time, however, it is of course extremely important to ensure continuity and efficiency – the STIKO must be able to act at all times.
What is decisive for an appointment? As many scientific publications as possible?
Of course, the relevant scientific work plays a role. But the committee is very interdisciplinary in order to cover different specialist areas: General practitioner expertise is represented as well as specialist knowledge from virology, pediatrics and communication science. I myself have worked on large studies and meta-analyses on the effectiveness and side effects of vaccinations and carried out modeling on the spread of infections, but I also treated and vaccinated patients during my time in clinical infectiology as a hospital doctor. I assume that these different experiences were taken into account.
What are you currently researching at the Helmholtz Center?
In the Department of Epidemiology, we record the dynamics and disease burden of infectious diseases through modeling, evidence synthesis and epidemiological studies. We then develop and evaluate measures and (digital) tools to reduce this disease burden. For example, we combine findings from many previously published studies by other teams on a topic in meta-analyses and try to identify common findings. On this basis, we then support the creation of guidelines, for example on the prevention of tuberculosis, which is still one of the infectious diseases that kills the most people worldwide.
But at least in Europe, tuberculosis has been largely eradicated, hasn’t it?
Unfortunately, no. In Eastern Europe, for example in Belarus or Ukraine, many people still contract tuberculosis. Many people in Europe also continue to die from this disease, even though it is actually an easily treatable infection. In Germany, too, people are still contracting tuberculosis and it often takes too long for us to diagnose and treat it.
COVID-19 hardly seems to be causing any more problems this winter. Does that surprise you?
No. In principle, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and exposure to COVID-19 is in line with what we predicted in the MONID modeling network for severe infectious diseases for the 2023/24 season(www.monid.net). The fact that only a few patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection have had to be hospitalized recently is mainly due to the fact that many people have now acquired protection against a severe course through vaccinations or infections. Of course, many people still fall ill with coronavirus, which leads to staff absences. Many of these people also suffer long-term complications.
What can epidemiology learn from the coronavirus pandemic?
During the pandemic, it became clear that we lacked relevant research infrastructures in infection epidemiology. We are now establishing these. They are necessary both for good infection research and for pandemic preparedness: in particular, a network of population-based studies that can quickly record the spread of germs. This will enable an even better epidemiological assessment of different infections in the future. However, this will of course require sustainable funding.
Dr. Berit Lange studied medicine in Freiburg, Spain, Chile and Peru and epidemiology in London, later specializing in infection epidemiology. She conducts research at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig, where she is acting head of the Department of Epidemiology. On March 12, she will attend a meeting of the STIKO for the first time as a new member.
Picture: Verena Meier / HZI
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27.02.2024 Interview: Till Hein