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Jan Lötvall is Professor and Chief Physician in the Department of Medicine at the University of Gothenburg. He also leads a group of researchers who are trying to develop their own vaccine against covid-19.
In that case, that vaccine is further away in time. But already after the turn of the year, some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world will approve covid-19 vaccines, something that does not surprise Jan Lötvall.
READ MORE: Covid-19 vaccine underway in Gothenburg
– I have always preached that in this situation, everyone will act at lightning speed, both in terms of drug development and vaccine development. That is really what happened, it is amazing to see the scientific mobilization among all the researchers in the world, he says.
Are there no risks in developing a vaccine so quickly?
– It is clear that there are risks and we have had serious side effects before, such as narcolepsy from the swine flu vaccine, but I am glad when I hear that pharmaceutical companies take it very seriously and openly report all the side effects during tests. Transparency is extremely important in this situation, including the authorities.
READ MORE: Vaccine-ready agreements for the entire Swedish population
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Do you dare to get the vaccine when it arrives?
– I dare! It is very important, I will not hesitate. There has been an enormous amount of propaganda against vaccines in the last ten years. I’m concerned about what the researchers who warned about vaccination have done. Vaccines are generally safe. If we hadn’t been vaccinated as children, we would have had measles epidemics in the neighborhood of this country.
According to a Sifo survey earlier this fall, 60 percent of Swedes were willing to receive the covid-19 vaccine.
It’s enough?
– No, I think those who do not get vaccinated will be very exposed. 60 percent is probably too low a percentage to achieve herd immunity, if you are dealing with a contagious disease you probably need to reach around 80 percent.
Jan Lötvall highlights the importance of getting vaccinated as an act of solidarity.
– If enough people are vaccinated, people with weak immune systems are also protected, so of course we must vaccinate ourselves, both for our own good and to help build herd immunity.
READ MORE: These are the groups that get vaccinated first
What long-term protection does the covid-19 vaccine provide?
– You do not know and we will not know when you begin to administer the vaccine, there is no time to wait for that response before starting to vaccinate. Next year we will know how long immunity lasts. We may need to get vaccinated against Covid-19 repeatedly, perhaps every year.
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