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In recent days there have been positive reports from BioNTech and Pfizer, as well as competitor Moderna, about the success rate of a possible vaccination and correspondingly quick approval. In other words: if all goes well, the vaccine could be approved in the US and the EU this year.
Approval of the requested vaccine
As reported by the Standard, BioNTech and Pfizer intend to submit approval documents to the US FDA today, Friday. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) should receive the latest data next week. As a reminder, the two companies reported a breakthrough in creating a vaccine for Covid-19 just days ago. Initial tests show an effectiveness in the 95 percent range. A few days later, competitor Moderna went public with a similar success story. The effectiveness must be high, the side effects must be low, it was said in summary.
The EU has taken precautions
Not surprisingly, both companies get the vaccine approved quickly so that the actual vaccination can begin. According to Uğur Şahin, co-founder of BioNTech, these first vaccines could occur in Europe in December. In any case, the EU is said to have already signed contracts with the companies and ordered vaccines. Of course, it is a prerequisite that all subsequent test results are positive.
4 million vaccines for Austria
The EU is said to have ordered 15 billion doses of vaccines. Two percent of this is destined for Austria. In numbers, that’s around four million vaccine doses. But even these should not be available “all at the same time”. This means that people to be vaccinated should be prioritized. There are already voices in Germany calling for teachers to get vaccinated quickly. Nursing staff or medical staff could also be at the top of the list, as could all other vulnerable groups.
Logistical challenge
But before that comes the logistical challenge. Planning for this should “run full speed”, mobile vaccination teams are being considered for schools and businesses. However, it will all be necessary: in simple terms, with 100,000 vaccinations per day and eight million Austrians, in theory it takes 80 days for everyone to be vaccinated. However, the vaccine will likely have to be given twice, with a three-week break in between. Transport companies in Germany should already be prepared to transport around 10 billion doses of vaccines around the world. The showrooms could become vaccination centers in the neighboring country and act as central buyers. The logistics industry sees this as feasible, but complains about a lack of information. There is still no completed logistics plan.
