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Professor Remuzzi, will the vaccine extinguish the virus?
“No, and it is better to say it clearly. All the vaccines in the pipeline, starting with Pfizer’s, will not suppress the coronavirus. To put it mildly, they will be more similar to flu shots than polio shots. They will protect us from the disease, but they will not make it go away.
Is the enthusiasm you hear around you exaggerated?
“In this pandemic, every push, every leap forward, has been fallacious. The truth is that none of us have the truth in our pockets. But it can be said with reasonable certainty that these vaccines will guarantee mass immunization, and that within a few years most of the inhabitants of the Earth will have their dose ”.
What can we realistically expect?
“We have at least eight candidates in phase 3, the last step of the trial. Therefore, it is reasonable to think that at least one couple will arrive at the same time.
It is so important?
“We don’t know if any of them will be 100 percent effective, and none will be produced in such large quantities as to satisfy the entire world population. Having more than one will help us get closer to the goal of covering the entire planet and, in the meantime, allow scientists to refine them in the course of work. ‘
What will happen then?
“A large part of the population will be immunized, but only on condition that current care measures are maintained. Mask, social distancing, continuous hand washing. For the moment, no single vaccine will be able to extinguish the pandemic.
How and when?
«The vaccine, the measures entrusted to our responsibility and the time. The combined effect of these three actions will make the coronavirus turn like a cold. A work of Nature predicts that it will be for 2024. But be careful, don’t be fooled. There are too many variables, too many things that are impossible to predict.
But is the arrival of the vaccine a first blow for the virus?
“Yes, of course. In addition to protecting and preventing as many deaths as possible, it will also prevent the pathogen from being transmitted from one person to another. It will also have an indirect effect. During the current phase of the pandemic, this could be the worst consequence. important ”.
Like a mask, but even more effective?
«Today, our vaccine is the mask. When a real vaccine comes, we will be even stronger. Precisely for this reason, now more than ever it is important not to abandon precautions. If you prevent transmission of the virus, as the vaccine will do, you will reduce the exposure of the entire population to the virus. And neutralize it, waiting for its disappearance.
Will it be for everyone?
“So far twenty, thirty, in one case even sixty thousand volunteers have been tested. But they are all young, they are fine. We need to see how people at risk, people with diseases that affect the immune system, and those taking immunosuppressive drugs will react. One thing is certain: if you protect many, you also protect the weakest groups.
If the vaccine does not guarantee complete elimination of the virus, what does it do?
“It creates antibodies, like any other vaccine. If you develop them, it is like getting sick without exposing your body to the consequences of evil. A magic. Go and explain it to the people who won’t want it.
What immunity will we have?
“These vaccines are also supposed to promote the action of certain T cells, white blood cells that play an important role in fighting the virus. I know this is a controversial topic, but some of us probably have pre-existing immunity within us. The vaccines will help you.
And how long will it last?
“We are talking about 6-8 months. It means that we will have to get vaccinated every year, like for the flu. We don’t know if only one dose will be needed. Most likely there are two. After that, it is true that we are not certain, but current studies say that it will be difficult to contract the virus a second time. This comforts us. Not to mention, if it works in a significant number of people, immunity will last even longer. ”
Who to give it to first?
“This question concerns the ethical aspect, much debated. The answer seems logical to me: for all healthcare workers and for the most vulnerable people. Then, to lower, to those over 60 years, to the lower risk groups of the population.
Is there a way to distribute it as quickly as possible?
“In words, everyone wants to do it, but nobody says how. Basically, there are three different actors. One is Co-vax, the association formed by the WHO, the Bill Gates foundation and the World Economic Forum among others, which aims to give it to all countries in a fair and ethical way. Then there are the producers, who have also publicly pledged to distribute it widely. Finally, individual national governments. And they must agree among themselves.
Are they at least talking?
“At the moment, this dialogue is missing. Also because someone should recognize that the fastest way to make the vaccine available to everyone would be to immediately remove the patent. And sadly, I’m pretty sure this won’t happen. “
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