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Encouraging is news from manufacturers trying to offer a safe and effective vaccine against Covid-19.
Although it will take time for a vaccine to become widely available, on the one hand the scientific community is doing everything possible to deliver a safe vaccine to humanity in record time and on the other hand the leaders of the continents are already preparing for it everything is ready. when the vaccines are ready for release.
What do we know so far about the vaccines that are first at the finish line?
Pfizer
The news that the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective has rekindled hopes of ending the pandemic, pushing international markets into a “rally.”
Its effectiveness is higher than expected and at the moment there is no concern for its safety.
Sarah Boseley, editor of The Guardian, specializing in health issues, explains why, while this vaccine is an important step, there are obstacles that we must overcome, and why measures such as the use of masks, distances and teleworking must – for now – to be maintained. 
Questions and “terms of use”
Boseley talks about mRNA technology, that unlike conventional vaccines, which contain parts of the pathogen itself, vaccines with this technology do not contain antigens, only messenger RNA molecules.
Boseley emphasizes that we do not know if the vaccine will stop human-to-human transmission of the virus, while stating that its great disadvantage is that it must be kept at very low temperatures, which will be a problem for poorer countries.
The vaccine is given in two doses three weeks apart. “This means you won’t be protected for three weeks,” says Boseley, noting that despite producing 1.3 billion doses in 2021, other vaccines will be needed.
Within the month the latest for the Moderna vaccine
Pharmaceutical Moderna estimated that it will have data from large-scale clinical trials of the candidate vaccine it is preparing against the coronavirus by the end of the month.
The company said it needed 53 patients in the study to be infected with coronavirus to publish the first data. This number was reached, but Moderna does not yet know whether the participants who got sick received the vaccine or the placebo.
Unless unexpected failures occur, they will likely apply for an Emergency Authorization (USA) in late November and begin distribution before the end of the year.
The Moderna Phase 3 clinical trial is conducted in 30,000 people, half of whom receive the vaccine and the other half the placebo. The test guidelines require intermediate data analysis, the first to be done when at least 53 test participants have COVID-19 disease. Once this happens, the DSMB will run a statistical analysis to provide an initial reading of the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.
If all of this is combined with the desired results, they will likely apply for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it is finally approved, it will begin distributing the vaccine to high-risk populations and healthcare providers by the end of the year. 
Millions of AstraZeneca Ready for Christmas Launch
On the other hand, the head of the tests of vaccines prepared by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, Professor Andrew Pollard, expressed his optimism that the British “miracle vaccine” against the virus is ready for launch at Christmas. In fact, the British academic said that this antiviral vaccine will be much cheaper than Pfizer’s, which requires two doses a few weeks apart and storage at -78 degrees Celsius.
“We have worked tirelessly all year and we look forward to seeing results in the coming months. It is a miracle that we have managed, even though we are a small team at Oxford University, to carry out tests on such a large scale and in record time. “Our partner, AstraZeneca, will distribute the vaccine on a non-profit basis,” Pollard told the Sun.
GSK, which has prepared “millions of doses”, also expects a rapid release
At the same time, another major British pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, raised hopes for a rapid launch of another coronavirus vaccine early next year, revealing that it had already prepared “millions of doses.”
“We have already manufactured millions of doses. Our resources are sufficient and in constant motion as we start our installation in Belgium. You can understand how proud those who work for this purpose are.” They know that we are going to make a difference, “he told the Daily Mail Roger Connor, president of GSK’s global vaccine division. 
It is noted that GSK has committed to the production of one billion doses next year and has ensured that it is awaiting product safety approval in the first half of 2021. However, the acceleration in the preparation and advancement of the Testing raises hopes that the vaccine will get the necessary approvals sooner so that the vaccine will be widely available in the spring. The company is working through three international branches for the vaccine, all of which are preparing to move to the final stage of testing.
“Foot race” to bring the vaccine to the Greeks – The EU plan
At the beginning of the new year we will have the first doses of vaccine for Covid-19 in Greece, at the same time as the rest of the EU countries.
This was also confirmed by the Deputy Minister of Health Vassilis Kontozomanis, highlighting that an operational plan for the vaccination of the population is already being developed.
According to Mr. Kontozamanis, “Greece’s participation in the European common supply in combination with access to the product portfolio negotiated and agreed upon by the European Commission, ensures adequate coverage of the population”.
“The European Commission has already signed agreements with Pfizer and Biontech, AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson for their experimental vaccines and is in discussions with Moderna, CureVac and Novavax to provide their own experimental vaccines.” .
The latest agreement refers to the vaccine being developed by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Biontech, which has aroused global optimism after the announcement of a 90% effectiveness. This is the first analysis in the middle of Phase 3. 
What pre-purchase agreements provide
Specifically for the Pfizer and Biontech vaccine, the Pre-Purchase Agreement stipulates that the 27 countries of the European Union will purchase 200 million doses of the vaccine with the possibility of supplying 100 million additional doses. “The approval of the agreement by the Commission is followed by the acceptance or not by the Member States within a period of 5 days and then the agreement is signed,” clarifies the deputy minister.
It explains that the distribution of the vaccine to the Member States will start as soon as the Commission has granted the marketing authorization after the approval and opinion of the competent European regulatory authority, the European Medicines Agency.
Negotiating the price of the vaccine
Mr Kontozamanis states that “the EU negotiation also refers to the supply price of vaccines. The final price of each vaccine is the same for all Member States. The European Commission contributes to the costs of purchasing the vaccines As it finances its development through ESI, this financing is seen as an advance on the vaccines, which will in fact be purchased by the Member States.
Preparation in Greece….
The government is also preparing the necessary infrastructure and procedures for vaccination against the coronavirus.
The supply of vaccines will be based on contracts signed by the European Union with pharmaceutical companies and the vaccines will begin to arrive gradually in early 2021.
In Greece, the preparation of the infrastructure for the transport, distribution and storage of fertilizers has already started.
Given that the vaccines will be administered in two doses, it is understood that, in fact, Greece supplies 12.5 million pieces, that is, a number capable of fully covering its population, but also of having sufficient stock to cover possible losses or defects . As government sources often say in the APE-MPE, in any case we want to be sure of the suitability of the vaccines. 
Vaccines in 1,018 centers nationwide
Vaccination will be carried out in 1,018 centers across Greece, which have already been defined and are gradually being prepared for this purpose.
These are hospitals, health centers and other similar infrastructure of Primary Health Care, the competent ministry having defined the specifications of the vaccination centers and being responsible for their preparation. There will also be mobile teams that will vaccinate those who for any reason cannot move.
Vaccination is free but not mandatory
Regarding the plan drawn up by the National Vaccination Committee, priority will surely be given to medical personnel (doctors, nurses, etc.) and then to vulnerable groups, while the rest of the population will gradually follow it.
Vaccination will be completely free for all and will not be mandatory, but, due to its importance, as the Prime Minister from Parliament stressed this Thursday, it is a bet for the entire political system and not only for the Government to convince the public. due to the need to protect them from the coronavirus with the vaccine. 
It is characteristic that for this reason a broad information campaign is carried out, while, by order of the Prime Minister, the National Vaccination Committee will ask each political party to appoint a representative to it, so that there is the maximum possible consensus.
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