[ad_1]
Corona vaccines are very lucky for everyone, Virologist Kekulé is sure. When you expect the vaccination to start and how long the measures could continue, he reveals in the interview.
The prospect of a Covid-19 vaccine will soon give many people hope, but not all the questions have been clarified, says virologist Alexander Kekulé. Why with a vaccine Corona-Pandemie has not ended and how long the measures could last in Germany, he explains in an interview with t-online.
t-online: Biontech has just applied for approval of the first vaccine in the US Based on initial data, Moderna’s active ingredient candidate is also very effective. How safe are you from such reports?
Alexander Kekulé: That gives me confidence. These are experimental vaccines, not enough can be said. These RNA vaccines have never been around before. They have never been shown to work at all. That now with the first studies on Corona vaccine everything is going very well and the effectiveness seems to be above 90 percent is a very good sign. But I would not directly sign 95 percent of Biontech at this time.
How exactly is this percentage obtained?
About 45,000 subjects participated in the Biontech-Pfizer study. Half of them received the vaccine, the other half a placebo. The result: around 160 people were infected. Then calculate how many of them were in the vaccine group and how many were in the placebo group. That has been statistically clear, but of course it is not yet set in stone.
Does that mean the result can still change?
The percentage can easily change a small percentage up or down. The result is still excellent. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended an effectiveness limit of 60 percent. In the United States, even 50 percent is enough.
That means we have viable vaccines to end the pandemic. If, after all, some people are not protected by the vaccine, it is not so bad.
And is it true that these active ingredients are equally effective for all people?
Older people were also included in the studies. We have no sign here that vaccines would work worse for them. This is a very good result because Covid has a particularly high risk for the elderly and other vaccines, for example against the flu, have a worse effect here. Different ethnicities were also tested. Most of the research was carried out in the United States; African Americans and Asians were also tested.
You could say: it works like a clock. The experiment worked immediately, it is a great luck for all of us.
(Quelle: imago / Future Image)
Prof. Dr. Alexander S. Kekulé
is Professor of Medical Microbiology and Virology at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology at Halle University Hospital (Saale).
His main research interests are infectious diseases, pandemic planning and civil protection.
However, some open questions remain. For example, on the long-term effects of vaccines based on new RNA technology.
So is. First, we don’t yet know exactly what the long-term effects will be. Since this is a completely new technology, of course you have to take that into account. But I don’t see this as a big problem, because the pandemic can be interrupted very effectively with a vaccine that only lasts for a few months. Second, we don’t yet know how these vaccines work in children. Because children under 12 are not evaluated in such studies.
What about the possible side effects?
The side effects are not yet fully understood. Many people have had tests. With both vaccines combined, more than 35,000 people. But even so, a side effect that occurs in even 1 in 10,000 would be dangerous, if billions of people were later vaccinated. Therefore, you must closely monitor what happens to those vaccinated, that is, if there are any undesirable effects.
We also have some logistical issues to clear up. Biontech vaccine, for example, has to be refrigerated at ultra-low temperatures, which is logistically demanding. I’m sure we are currently checking if it really needs to cool to minus 70 degrees. Moderna vaccine, on the other hand, can be transported to minus 20 degrees and then stored for a few days at refrigerator temperature.
When do you think Covid-19 vaccines can start in Germany?
If all goes well and no further problems arise, we will start vaccinating risk groups at the end of the year. Then it is the turn of the medical staff. By the time the general population is vaccinated on a large scale, it could be April. That’s great, of course: a light at the end of the tunnel.
In the end, one or maybe even several vaccines arrive much faster than many experts had suspected …
As early as January, scientists said: Coronaviruses are not a particular problem for a vaccine. With hepatitis C or AIDS if it is different, there are fundamental biological problems. There was also a vaccine against MERS that worked well. That is why it was actually clear that, in principle, you can vaccinate against Covid-19. That has now come true.
However, we still have to put up with restrictions in everyday life for quite some time, right?
Yes. The start of vaccinations does not mean that the pandemic is over. We must continue to observe protective measures throughout the vaccination period. How can we do this without any more blocks, I have in my book “The Compass Crown” that just appeared.
How long will the measurements last?
They have to persist until herd immunity begins to take hold. And that will take months, probably until summer. Until then we have to hold on. I really hope that everything goes well and that we don’t have another crown wave next fall.
But we have one vaccine there is no reason to relax now, on the contrary. Because we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, we shouldn’t leave anyone behind if possible. The end is in sight, so we have to stick to even better measures.
Thanks for the interview, Mr. Kekulé!
