Swiss Study Reveals COVID Shots Linked to Increased Respiratory Infection Risk

A groundbreaking Swiss study published in Communications Medicine (a Nature portfolio journal) on August 12, 2025, highlighted potential drawbacks of mRNA injections. Titled “Association of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status with risk of influenza-like illness and loss of workdays in healthcare workers,” the research examined nearly 2,000 Swiss healthcare professionals during the 2023/24 winter season. It found a dose-dependent correlation between COVID-19 booster shots and heightened susceptibility to influenza-like illnesses (ILI), challenging the assumption that repeated vaccinations provide unalloyed benefits in a post-pandemic era.

Led by researchers including Dörr and Lacy, the study utilized multivariable logistic regression to analyze self-reported ILI symptoms and work absences. Participants who received one booster exhibited a 56% higher risk of developing flu-like symptoms compared to unboosted individuals, while those with two boosters faced a 70% elevated risk.

These associations persisted even after adjusting for confounding factors such as age, sex, comorbidities, and prior flu vaccinations. The authors noted, “These results suggest that COVID-19 booster vaccinations may not offer clear short-term benefits in a post-pandemic situation and may even increase the short-term risk of developing the disease.”

Furthermore, the study reported that more SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations were linked to increased workdays lost, underscoring economic implications for healthcare systems.

In contrast, seasonal influenza vaccination demonstrated protective effects, aligning with established expectations. This differential impact raises questions about the mechanisms behind mRNA vaccines’ potential to impair immune responses to non-COVID respiratory pathogens.

The researchers emphasized methodological robustness, including precise comorbidity adjustments, which enhances the findings’ credibility.

These results echo earlier observations from a 2022 Cleveland Clinic study, published as a preprint on medRxiv on December 19, 2022, which analyzed over 51,000 employees and found that individuals with more COVID-19 vaccine doses had a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The Cleveland study reported a dose-response relationship, with bivalent-vaccinated employees showing increased infection rates, though critics noted potential confounders like differential exposure among healthcare workers.

However, the Swiss research advances this by focusing on broader ILI and incorporating rigorous controls, suggesting a broader immunosuppressive effect.

The implications are profound: Why might mRNA technology, heralded as a pandemic panacea, heighten vulnerability to common respiratory infections? Emerging hypotheses include immune imprinting or shifts in antibody responses, potentially prioritizing SARS-CoV-2 over other pathogens.

Public health campaigns overlooked these risks, prioritizing vaccination uptake without any post-marketing surveillance. As global vaccination rates wane, such studies underscore the need for proper risk-benefit assessments.

With respiratory seasons recurring, these findings demand urgent replication as well as policy reevaluation to safeguard public health.

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