Vaccine Receives Emergency Approval

 

When will a vaccine against the corona virus be available? Who will get it first and who will decide? Who finances the research, which benefits? The NDR is investigating these and other questions and is publishing its research on corona vaccine development here.

The British regulatory authority for pharmaceuticals (MHRA) has granted emergency approval to the corona vaccine from the Mainz-based pharmaceutical company Biotech and its US partner Pfizer. This was preceded by months of rigorous clinical studies and a thorough analysis of the data by experts from the MHRA, who came to the conclusion that the vaccine met strict safety, quality and efficacy standards, said a spokesman for the UK Ministry of Health. The vaccine will be made available across the UK starting next week. The UK government reached an agreement with Biotech and Pfizer in July. They should therefore deliver 30 million cans. In the EU and the USA, the responsible authorities are still examining a possible approval. According to the company, their vaccine should be able to prevent around 95% of Covid-19 diseases. There were no serious side effects in the studies.

Further important information shortly:

In the EU and the USA, three vaccine candidates are close to possible approval - from Biotech / Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca / UniOxford. According to the companies, all three have shown high effectiveness in final studies. There were therefore no serious side effects. The companies Biotech / Pfizer and Moderna have submitted applications for approval. Now the authorities in the EU (the European Medicines Agency, EMA) and in the USA (FDA) are examining whether they will approve the funds.

The EU has already secured the delivery of up to almost two billion cans. It has now reached agreements with six companies. Germany is entitled to 18.6 percent of this proportion of the population. That would be around 365 million cans. There are also bilateral agreements with the German manufacturers Biotech, Curevac and IDT Biological.

Preparations for the vaccination program are underway in Germany. After approval, millions of people should be able to be vaccinated as quickly as possible. Vaccination centers are to be set up for this purpose. Storage and transport are a major challenge. Because the vaccine from Biotech / Pfizer must be stored at -70 degrees. The other two promising candidates can be stored at higher temperatures