COVID-19-Erkrankungen und Impfungen gegen SARS-CoV-2 bei Personen mit und Personen ohne Migrationserfahrung – Ergebnisse aus der RKI-SOEP-2 Studie

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that protective measures against infection with SARS-CoV-2 cannot be implemented by all individuals to the same extent. For example, not all occupations can be performed in a home office, and living in a confined space limits one's ability to isolate oneself from others. Personal circumstances thus largely determine the risk of COVID-19 disease. This research report examines the risks of infection to which persons with and persons without migration experience are exposed, and the extent of vaccination protection attained by each. The analyses use survey data from the "Corona Monitoring nationwide (RKI-SOEP-2)" study, which was conducted cooperatively by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), the Research Center of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF-FZ), and the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). The field phase of the study began in November 2021 and ended in March 2022. In a short questionnaire, participants were asked, among other things, about infections with SARS-CoV-2, their vaccination status, their attitudes and behaviors regarding the pandemic, and other health topics. The results of the analyses show that the clear majority had at least two antigen contacts through a vaccination and an infection or two vaccinations by the end of October 2021. However, this share was somewhat lower among persons with migration experience than among persons without migration experience. By the end of October 2021, twice as many persons with migration experience had undergone COVID-19 disease than persons without migration experience. These disparities can be attributed to socio-economic differences between the two groups. For example, differences in occupational and family situations or housing situations can explain the different incidences to a certain extent. The analyses thus show that it is not the migration experience itself but the associated living conditions that are relevant for the differences in the incidence of infection. The majority of people with and people without migration experience had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 for the first time by the end of October 2021. The proportion of first-time vaccinated was slightly higher among nonimmigrant than immigrant individuals. Of those who had received a first vaccination, almost all had also received a second vaccination by the end of October 2021. There are no notable differences between the two groups here. Overall, the analyses show that individuals with migration experience were at increased risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 due to their living circumstances. In addition, they were somewhat less likely to have been vaccinated and thus less likely to be protected from infection or severe disease outcome. The pandemic as such and infection with SARS-CoV-2 poses health risks to individuals. The protection of all groups of people from infection with SARS-CoV-2 is therefore highly relevant. The differences found in the affectedness of different groups of people according to underlying socio-economic characteristics show the need to consider the different living conditions of different groups of people when developing and implementing protective measures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))