Coronavirus: Biontech is About to Produce COVID-19 Vaccine

Coronavirus: Biontech is About to Produce COVID-19 Vaccine

German Biontech is about to produce the new coronavirus vaccine

The second wave of epidemics in Europe is fierce, and Germany will implement a month-long lockdown on Monday. How far is the development of the German new coronavirus vaccine? Today I will share with you the latest news from the German biotech company.

According to Der Spiegel, Biontech is currently experimenting with sample vaccines. Biontech’s CEO Ugur Sahin estimates that there will be test results in early November.

“We don’t need to wait too long. We are very confident in the test results.” If the test results are satisfactory, we will apply to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for emergency production permits in mid-November.

Biontech and its partners Pfizer, Moderna in the United States and AstraZeneca in the United Kingdom are all at the forefront of the development of new coronavirus vaccines. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said that the United States will not develop a vaccine before January, and the FDA will not urgently approve vaccine production before January.

If the production license is approved, whether it can meet the vaccine demand is still a question. In this regard, Sahin said that the production of vaccines is under quality control, so there is no guarantee that the demand can be met, but he will make efforts this year. Sahin said in a TV interview that if there are several companies that can provide vaccines instead of just one, the more likely it is that people’s lives will return to normal by the middle of next year.

When asked how long the vaccine will last, Sahin said they are not sure. But he thinks it will last at least a year. It seems that we need to be “immunized again” every year, which is not an exaggeration.

The vaccine must be kept below minus 80 degrees

The vaccination center must ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine. Sahin said in a TV interview that according to previous research, the vaccine can be stored at minus 80 degrees for at least five days.

Fortunately, Germany has a good hospital infrastructure, and most clinics have refrigerators that can store vaccines at minus 80 degrees. Sahin said: “In the first stage of vaccine delivery, people have to come to the vaccination center to get the vaccine.” In the second stage, when the vaccine is on the market, it can be shipped to the pharmacy.

There will be 10 to 15 vaccination centers in Berlin

According to Tagesspiegel, in Berlin, preparations are being made to establish 10 to 15 vaccination centers in the next few months. The Federal Ministry of Health said that whether the first vaccination can be carried out early next year, the evaluation will continue. The vaccine may be launched early next year.

The Federal Ministry of Research has invested 750 million euros to fund the development of vaccines by Biontech, CureVac and IDT Biologika. Biontech is about to obtain emergency production approval now, but Curevac does not expect it until the summer of 2021. IDT Biologika will have to wait until the end of 2021 or early 2022.