COVID-19. Vaccine Maker Says Life Will Return to Normal Only Next Winter – Observer

The Covid-19 vaccine will have a significant effect during the summer of 2021, notably leading to a “drastic reduction in cases” of infection. But only in The winter of next year is that life should return to normal – what it was before the pandemic. The predictions are by Uğur Şahin, the Turkish scientist who created BioNTech who, in early November, announced to the world, together with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, that his vaccine candidate was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19. .

I am very confident that transmission between people will be reduced by an effective vaccine – not by 90%, but perhaps by 50% – but we must not forget that this too can result in a drastic reduction in the spread of the pandemic“He said in an interview with the BBC.

Scientist Uğur Şahin said that, if all goes as planned, the distribution of the vaccine should begin at the end of this year, at the beginning of the next. The goal, he explains, is to deliver more than 300 million doses worldwide until April 2021 – which will give 150 million people as the vaccine is expected to be given in two doses.

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This distribution until April 2021 “could let it start making an impact “ in the world, the scientist believes. However, the impact will only begin to be felt later.

Summer will help us because the infection rate will drop in the summer and what is absolutely essential is that we have a high vaccination rate until or before the fall / winter of next year, ”he said.

Uğur Şahin also added that the vaccine’s “main side effects” noted so far have been mild to moderate pain at the injection site for a few days, although some volunteers had mild to moderate fever for a similar period. “We found no other serious side effects this would result in the suspension or interruption of the study, “he added.

The European Union has already bought 200 million doses (giving 100 million people) and this reserve will also serve Portugal. The director general of health, Graça Freitas, confirmed that this vaccine “is one of those that the country intends to acquire”.