Vaccine: In the fight against the mutation, the Biontech boss makes a promise to the world

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It was an early Christmas present: late Monday evening, and thus earlier than expected, the European Commission granted the final approval for the Biontech and Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19.

From December 27th, mass vaccinations in the fight against the pandemic are to start in several EU countries, including Germany.

The joy of Europeans about the first vaccine approved here is clouded by the appearance of a new virus variant that is spreading mainly in Great Britain and is apparently much more contagious than the previous form.

The analyzes of the effectiveness against the mutation are already running

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The pressing question now is whether the new vaccine, which should be available in the EU from tomorrow, also protects against the mutated form of Sars-CoV-2.

It was therefore the most frequent question that Biontech boss Ugur Sahin was asked at the press conference of the Mainz company, which was called at short notice.

“We'll know more in about two weeks,” said Sahin.

Corresponding analyzes have already started.

However, he thinks it is very likely that the existing vaccination will also protect against the new variant.

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This is because the vaccine is directed against the complete spike protein on the virus envelope, and this is still more than 99 percent unchanged despite the mutations that have occurred.

But even in the event that the protective effect should not be sufficient, Biontech and Pfizer would at least technically be able to provide a quick remedy, Sahin promised: "We could develop a new version of the vaccine on our existing platform within six weeks."

However, it is unclear how the supervisory authorities would evaluate such a new version and how quickly such an update could then come through the approval process.

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Source: WELT / Nancy Lanzendörfer

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Biontech sees itself fully on schedule with the planned delivery of its vaccine.

In the coming week, the first 12.5 million vaccine doses are to be distributed within the EU.

In the USA, which had already granted emergency approval for the vaccine on December 11th and where the vaccinations have already started, it is said to be 20 million doses by the end of the year.

In total, Biontech and its US partner Pfizer want to deliver around 50 million cans worldwide by the end of the year.

By the end of next year it should be 1.3 billion vaccine doses.

"The only remaining uncertainty that cannot be concealed"

The President of the German Medical Association, Dr.

Klaus Reinhardt, welcomes the approval of the vaccine from Biontech / Pfizer.

In an interview with WELT he is optimistic that the vaccinations can also be carried out in doctors' offices in the course of spring.

Source: WORLD / Felicia Pochhammer

Sahin said that further production sites are being continuously searched for in order to be able to rapidly expand manufacturing capacities.

In the meantime, 45 countries around the world have approved the vaccine.

In the EU, the vaccine, which was previously known under its active ingredient abbreviation BNT162b2, now also has a brand name: "Comirnaty."

This was selected from over 1000 suggestions and was a combination of the words Covid-19, mRNA, community and immunity, explained production director Sean Marrett.

For the scarce vaccine, which had shown an effectiveness of over 90 percent in clinical studies, competition between industrialized countries has long since broken out.

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According to information from the Bloomberg news agency, the USA is currently trying to exercise an option for 100 million more doses.

Most of the doses expected for next year - enough to immunize 650 million people - have already been reserved.

Meanwhile, the non-governmental organization ONE renewed its criticism, according to which Biontech has so far been opposed to a globally fair distribution of the vaccine.

Biontech boss Sahin has repeatedly spoken out in favor of a new corona vaccine being available to everyone worldwide who needed it.

"We don't need a 'Europe first'"

The steps necessary for this are still pending, said Stephan Exo-Kreischer, Director of ONE Germany: "In practice we see nothing of it."

So far, no discounts have been announced for developing countries, nor is there any cooperation with the international vaccine initiative Covax.

“We don't need 'Europe first', we need an eye for the big picture.

Everyone in the world needs access to the vaccine.

Otherwise, the pandemic will drag on longer than necessary and that will fall on our feet, ”said Exo-Screecher.

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