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All hope of returning to normal life lies in the Covid vaccine. One of the BioNTECH and Pfizer companies should be close to approval, developed with the help of the Klosterneuburg company Polymun.
Christina Nicolodi advises companies on drug development.
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But when does it arrive, how does it work and is the fight against Corona already won with the vaccine? The NÖN spoke to the virologist and vaccine expert Christina Nicolodi from Laxenburg (Mödling district) about this.
Development of the vaccine typically takes 15 years.
Before a vaccine can be used, it must go through a long development process. It begins with the collection of information about the virus, continues through studies in the laboratory, and ends with its first use in humans. “On average, it takes 15 to 17 years,” says Nicolodi.
It goes faster in pandemics
Although everyone has been eagerly awaiting the Corona injection for weeks, the process here is extremely fast. That is because we are in a pandemic. In a time of medical necessity, the procedure is expedited. However, this does not mean that the corona vaccine does not go through all stages. “Bureaucratic hurdles have been removed and individual phases can start earlier,” explains Nicolodi.
It stands out that neither the number of subjects in whom the vaccine is tested nor the quality of the vaccine or its studies is less than in other procedures. According to Nicolodi, one does not have to worry that the work was not done with enough care and haste: “I understand that vaccines are scary. But you shouldn’t be afraid of getting something that hasn’t been properly evaluated. “
The Covid vaccine should arrive before Christmas
The pace is picking up not just in development, but approval as well. The president of the European Commission assumes that the vaccine will be approved by the end of the year. “You can tell how high the political pressure is,” says Nicolodi.
The Laxenburg native also awaits approval by the end of the year, no later than the first quarter of 2021. BioNTECH and Pfizer submitted the first data to the European Commission, which granted approval, in October. The week before, the team announced that all 40,000 volunteers had been vaccinated.
Side effects usually appear soon
Six weeks after vaccination are critical for the safety of the vaccine. This has been shown in the past to be the period during which side effects occur most frequently. At the same time, the level of antibodies in the blood (titer) often falls within the second month. Only when safety and efficacy have been demonstrated can the company apply for approval. Due to the expedited procedure, the vaccine should be administered within a few weeks.
First, the elderly and systemically important are vaccinated.
The EU has already secured vaccine doses. In a first step, Austria will receive 4 million cans. Because you have to vaccinate twice, that would be enough for 2 million people. These should be members of the risk group, as well as people in systemically relevant professions.
Long-term effect is controlled
Once the vaccine is on the market, more research will be needed on the long-term effects. Subjects should draw blood and keep a diary of side effects. In the worst case, it can lead to withdrawal.
Durability is the unknown
Studies have shown that the vaccine is 95 percent effective. However, Nicolodi puts a damper on the hope that life will return to normal as soon as he is there. For herd immunization, about 95 percent of the world’s population must be vaccinated or have antibodies against the virus. “That is ambitious.” Another question is how long the effect of the vaccine lasts in the body. If it is only a few months, the vaccination should be repeated frequently. You will only know in a year.
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