Manufacturers deliver less Vaccination campaign could stall

Status: 16.06.2021 2:47 p.m. In Germany there will be fewer BioNTech cans available next month. Johnson & Johnson is also delivering less than planned. The German vaccination campaign could suffer a setback as a result. The vaccine manufacturer BioNTech will deliver significantly less vaccine to Germany in July than in June. Instead of 5.7 million cans for the last week of June, only 3.2 million cans are planned for the first week of July (KW 27). But there could be no question of a surprising cut, said a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Health. Rather, BioNTech preferred deliveries in June that were actually intended for later. It was always clear that the delivery volume of the Mainz manufacturer in the third quarter would be around 40.2 million vaccination doses lower than the around 50 million in the second quarter. So far there has only been a clear delivery promise for the first week of July with 3.235 million cans. After that, around 3.3 million doses per week can be expected. That was also communicated to the federal states. SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach therefore warns of a setback for the vaccination campaign: “If the BioNTech deliveries fall so sharply, it will be difficult to demonstrate herd immunity before mid-September,” he told the “Spiegel”. At the same time, it is shown that the delta variant is highly infectious and sometimes causes severe disease. “That’s scary,” said Lauterbach.

06/02/2021

6.5 million fewer doses from Johnson & Johnson

The US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will also deliver significantly fewer vaccine doses than planned. The European Commission expects that J&J will not be able to meet its delivery targets to the EU for the second quarter. The reason for this is a decision by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), according to which 17 million doses of the vaccine cannot be used in the EU for safety reasons after cases of contamination have occurred in a US plant. The group will therefore probably not reach its delivery target of 55 million cans by the end of June, says a commission spokesman. So far, only around twelve million cans have been delivered. The Federal Ministry of Health estimates that J&J will be able to deliver around 6.5 million fewer doses to Germany than planned by the end of June because of the breakdown. “That is unfortunate, because every vaccine counts,” said a spokeswoman. The ministry expects the missing quantity to be replenished in July.

June 16, 2021

Waiting for Sputnik and Curevac

The Germans will probably have to wait even longer for the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, because, according to government circles, approval will be postponed “probably to September, maybe even to the end of the year”. The reason is that the Russian manufacturer has not yet submitted the necessary clinical trial data to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the news agency Reuters learned from government circles. The clinical dossier was supposed to be available by June 10th. The Russian state fund RDIF, which sells Sputnik V, described the information as incorrect. All the necessary data on the clinical studies have been submitted and received positive comments. Initially, no comments were received from the EMA. The vaccine from Curevac is also not yet available. The vaccine from the Tübingen company, once praised as a bearer of hope, is still not approved. The Federal Ministry of Health has therefore canceled the delivery of 1.4 million vaccine doses originally planned for the current second quarter. According to health expert Lauterbach, the delay in approval could indicate that the effectiveness of the Curevac vaccine is not looking good.

06/07/2021

Moderna delivers a little more

Meanwhile, there are increasing complaints about the shortage of vaccines – from company doctors, general practitioners and some vaccination centers. The calls from some prime ministers for more vaccine also persist – while millions of Germans are still waiting for an initial vaccination. There is positive news from Moderna: The US manufacturer will increase its delivery volume compared to June, from 622,000 to 733,000 cans per week. In addition, Schleswig-Holstein is giving part of the AstraZeneca vaccine provided by Denmark to Hamburg. Thanks to the delivery, at least 8,000 new appointments can be made in the vaccination center in the megacity since today. The neighboring state does not manage to use the cans from Danish stock in time before the expiry date at the end of June.

background June 15, 2021

Industry collects billions Record sums for biotech companies

Status: 15.06.2021 10:46 a.m.

The successes of biotech companies such as BioNTech attract investors: The industry has a new financial record in Germany. But the exuberance could be followed by disillusionment. By Thomas Spinnler, tagesschau.de The entire biotech industry is currently benefiting greatly from the attention generated by the rapid and successful development of corona vaccines. The pandemic has given a boost to a sector that is already in the focus of many investors due to technological and medical advances in recent years. As the “Financial Times” (FT) reports, the venture capitalist Flagship Pioneering – one of the major investors in the Vaccine manufacturer Moderna – around $ 3.5 billion for a new fund. Its aim is to promote the next generation of biotech companies.

Fund tries a new model

When investing in the biotech industry, investors must calculate with particular risks. Many of the companies to invest in do not yet have a product on the market. It is uncertain whether this will ever be the case, as the path from research to a marketable product is very long and often fails.

01/06/2021

Flagship Pioneering is now trying a different way. What is special, according to “FT”, is that the fund’s goal is not the usual search for newly founded companies in which to invest. Rather, modern biotechnologies are to be developed in-house in certain segments under the umbrella of the fund. Only then are plans to set up companies as offshoots.

The profits are gushing

Unsurprisingly, financiers are on the lookout for business ideas; they smell a gigantic business. Just a look at the rapidly rising share prices of many companies in the past few months shows how convinced the market players are of a lucrative future for the sector. In fact, profits are gushing – at least for the best-known representatives who have successfully launched products. BioNTech generated a net profit of 1.1 billion euros in the first quarter of 2021. In the first quarter of 2020, the Mainz-based company had to accept a net loss of 53 million euros due to high research and development costs.

05/10/2021

The US vaccine manufacturer Moderna made in the first quarter profit – equal to a billion dollars. In the previous year, Moderna had to cope with a loss of 124 million. The turnover multiplied from eight million to 1.9 billion dollars. $ 1.7 billion of this comes from corona vaccine revenue. While Moderna shares rose by more than 200 percent in the past twelve months, BioNTech shares gained over 340 percent in the same period.

Lighthouse companies in particular benefit

In Germany, the biotech industry set a new financial record last year. As the experts from the testing and consulting company EY calculated in their Biotech Report 2021, financing in Germany reached a peak of 3.1 billion euros in 2020. A comparison with the USA shows the order of magnitude. According to EY, around $ 100 billion went into biotech financing for venture capitalists.

02/27/2021

“Covid-19 is a huge catalyst for the entire biotechnology industry,” said Alexander W. Nuyken, Head of the Life Sciences Sector in Strategy and Transactions at EY and co-author of the study. In their report, the experts at EY point out that the investments essentially relate to the flagship company BioNTech, which alone accounted for 51 percent of the financing volume in 2020. According to Nuyken, biotechnology is part of the solution to a problem that is a matter of fate for humanity. “That has come to mind.”

More help from the state?

This year it’s going on at a high pace: The “Handelsblatt” quotes from preliminary figures from the Bio Deutschland Association. Accordingly, the industry received a total of 870 million euros in capital from January to May. That is around three and a half times as much as in the same period last year. Nuyken campaigns for the state to help even more: “I hope that politicians show more will to improve framework conditions.” There is now an opportunity for the biotech scene to play a major role in this country in the long term or to play an even greater role in the future.

Hope for new products

In fact, taxpayers have already made a major contribution to making the industry so successful: Since the beginning of the pandemic, governments have allocated tens of billions to research and development on vaccines, which are now generating sales and profits for companies. However, it is uncertain whether, thanks to the many fresh billions, the supply of innovative medical products will make a leap. Nuyken warns of disappointing expectations: “If investors with no biotech experience think they can make a quick buck here, they’re wrong.” After the boom, the expert warns, disillusionment could quickly set in.

Australia is trying to prepare for a plan to produce an mRNA technology vaccine in this country. (Source: Reuters) In a recent meeting with the Senate, Mr. David Luchetti of the Australian Ministry of Industry and Science said that the Australian authorities have asked manufacturers to detail the potential for vaccine development in Australia. Australia. Currently, the Australian Ministry of Technology and Science has received applications from 15 companies, of which 5 are under consideration. The available information shows that if the production of mRNA technology vaccines on the basis of existing factories, it may take Australia 1-2 years to produce the first batches of vaccines. However, if a completely new factory is built, it may take 3-4 years for a new mRNA technology vaccine to be born in Australia. So at the moment it is difficult to predict when Australia will be able to produce an mRNA vaccine. Compared with traditional technology, mRNA promises to be more effective, faster, safer, with fewer side effects; can compare the difference like a motorbike and a jet. To make it easy to understand, the process of synthesizing each protein in the human body is like solving a complex math problem, mRNA becomes a manual of mathematical formulas. If humans can create a vaccine in the form of artificial mRNA, when injected into the body, the mRNA will disguise itself as a “thief” that sneaks in but does not wake up the “host”, it silently builds a defense system. are antibody proteins, so that when the virus attacks, it will be destroyed by that system. Regarding the possibility of Moderna company building a vaccine factory in Australia, Mr. David Luchetti said that Australia is currently in discussions with Moderna about this plan, but until now it is still uncertain about what. (according to VOV)

Australia is trying to prepare for a plan to produce an mRNA technology vaccine in this country. Source: Reuters However, if a completely new factory is built, it may take 3 to 4 years for a new mRNA technology vaccine to be available in Australia. So at the moment it is difficult to predict when Australia will be able to produce an mRNA vaccine. Regarding the possibility of Moderna company building a vaccine production plant in Australia, Mr. David Luchetti said that Australia is currently in discussions with Moderna about this plan, but until now it is still uncertain about what. / .

(Source: Getty Images) National Advisory Committee on Immunity of Canada (NACI) on June 1 announced updated guidelines allowing the combination of preventive vaccines COVID-19 licensed in the country in most cases. Under the new guidelines, people who have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine can receive a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, unless they are pregnant. So far, Canada has allowed the use of 4 types vaccine against COVID-19 of pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The new guidelines also say that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be used in combination for both the first and second shots. However, the NACI does not recommend a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine following the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for safety reasons and limited data on the use of this combination. Speaking at a press conference on June 1, Canada’s public health official Theresa Tam said, “NACI is working to quickly adopt new guidelines for vaccine use in the country to ensure optimal protection of people in the context of the changing epidemic situation.” Tam also added that although according to the new NACI recommendation that vaccines can be safely used in combination, people should use the same vaccine for two injections if possible, especially Pfizer’s vaccine. or Moderna. According to Ms. Tam, the use of vaccine combinations is not a new concept and has long been applied by public health to many vaccines. The updated NACI guidelines are based on current studies from Spain and the UK that show the combination of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines to be safe and effective against COVID-19. As of the afternoon of June 1, 2021, 21,942,111 Canadians, equivalent to 57.75% of the country’s population, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 2,144,126 people, equivalent to 5.64%, second injection. The disease situation in the North American country is also continuing to decline with the number of new cases per day in the last 7 days being below 2,700 cases, the average death per day decreased to 39 cases. As of the afternoon of June 1, Canada recorded 1,248 new cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 1,382,822, of which 25,565 people have died. On the same day, according to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Buenos Aires, an adviser to Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, Cecilia Nicolini, said that she is considering the possibility of cooperating with Cuba to produce a vaccine against COVID-19 researched and manufactured by Cuba in order to prevent COVID-19 infection. distributed to the Latin American market. In an interview with Sputnik news agency, Ms. Nicolini announced that during the recent visit to Cuba by the Minister of Health Carla Vizzotti, the Argentine side was introduced to the progress in the process of research and development of vaccines. COVID-19 of Cuba, and affirmed Argentina’s desire to cooperate in the production of this drug so that it can meet the actual demand as soon as possible, not only in Cuba and Argentina but also in other countries in the world. area. Currently, Cuba has 5 candidates for COVID-19 vaccine, namely Soberana 01, Soberana 02, Soberana Plus, Mambisa and Abdala with very positive prospects, in which candidates Soberana 02 and Abdala have successfully finished the phase. clinical trials 1 and 2 with high rates of safety and efficacy. According to Nicolini, in the coming days, the Cuban side will present data analysis of the third phase of testing of these two vaccines and the two sides will conduct negotiations on the possibility of mass production. Currently La Soberana 02 and Abdala are the only two COVID-19 vaccines researched by a Latin American country that have entered the final phase of clinical trials.

The tour is organized in the form of Free & Easy, including airline tickets to the US and hotel rooms of 3 stars or more standard; Covid-19 test fee before entering the US; visa fees to the US; Travel insurance and guides support registration, procedures for vaccination against Covid-19 vaccine in the US. The price offered is 44.99 million VND/pax for the 8 day 7 night tour. This is the first travel agency in Vietnam to organize a tour to the US to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Other companies are also listening to the situation to organize similar tours. Some travel companies in Vietnam are also considering and learning about US tours to vaccinate Previously, in the region, some Thai travel companies also offered vaccination tours in the US. Specifically, the company My Journey Travel offers a package “Covid-19 vaccine tour”, a 10-day flight to California (USA). With a cost of 2,400 USD/person (about 55 million VND, excluding airfare), so far, more than 200 people have booked. Prices above include a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Another company, Unithai Trip in Bangkok (Thailand), also launched tour packages from 75,000 baht to 200,000 baht ($2,400 to $6,400, equivalent to 55 to 147 million dong) for flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles. and New York. According to the VNA, tourists from other countries are flocking to the US to combine tourism with vaccination. To date, tens of thousands of tourists from Mexico and some other countries have flown to Texas and Florida to get vaccinated. Or, thousands of wealthy tourists, including politicians, TV stars, leaders of companies and corporations in Latin America, have come to America to get vaccinated. Some chartered private planes to go to the US. Therefore, organizing tours combined with vaccination is a business opportunity for tour operators. Vaccination demand soars Regarding this issue, Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in PLO newspaper, said that it is normal to go abroad with Vietnamese tourists, not banned. As for entry, they must comply with regulations in the context of the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic. According to some companies and travel experts, the above price of 44.99 million VND is only suitable for those with conditions, because that price does not include food, travel, and personal expenses at the hotel. America. Not to mention, depending on the vaccine, you have to wait for the second shot. With the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, only one dose is needed, but if you want to get the Pfizer vaccine, you have to wait 20 days to get the second shot. After completing the injection, when returning to Vietnam, the tourist is still quarantined for 21 days at an isolation facility and then monitored for 7 days at home according to current entry regulations of the Health sector and the authorities. Thus, a complete trip with vaccinations in the US to be able to contact the community takes from 1 and a half to nearly 2 months, not to mention the cost of isolation when returning home. Bao An

Kariko Katalin. Photo: Euronews What is mRNA technology? Vaccines with mRNA technology are Covid-19 vaccine most awaited. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pioneered and quickly approved this vaccine. Compared with traditional technology, mRNA promises to be more effective, faster, safer, with fewer side effects; can compare the difference like a motorbike and a jet. The concept of mRNA was learned in 9th grade, biology lectures taught that mRNA has the function of conveying information that regulates the structure of proteins. Letter m = messenger = information. To make it easy to understand, the process of synthesizing each protein in the human body is like solving a complex math problem, mRNA becomes a manual of mathematical formulas. If humans can create a vaccine in the form of artificial mRNA, when injected into the body, the mRNA will disguise itself as a “thief” that sneaks in but does not wake up the “host”, it silently builds a defense system. are antibody proteins, so that when the virus attacks, it will be destroyed by that system. mRNA urges, haunts Kariko Katalin Kariko Katalin is obsessed with mRNA, she understands this is a very special type of RNA that holds all the secrets to creating billions of billions of proteins in the human body. Theoretically, science can completely manipulate mRNA to create a targeted protein, doing that, mRNA becomes the most powerful weapon to control a variety of diseases. But that’s just a theory. Understanding of mRNA in the 1980s was still very limited. In principle, when injecting mRNA into the human body, it is an allergen, so the body’s defense system will immediately destroy it before the mRNA can perform its functions. That is, the mRNA vaccine, no matter how cleverly disguised, is still a “thief”. But what is more serious, is that the human body’s instinctive resistance to the “thief” is too strong, creating a severe immune response that is potentially fatal. After a lot of failures, most scientists gave up, no one cares about mRNA anymore, that knowledge is scattered on the pages of 9th and 10th grade biology textbooks, so that students can take exams with these questions. boring question. Kariko Katalin was undaunted and continued to dive into research. All efforts paid off when Katalin’s work attracted the attention of two young companies Moderna (Canada) and BioNTech (Germany), after which the giant Pfizer (USA) decided to invest in the production of Covid vaccines. -19 by mRNA technology. That is like winning a ticket to Mars. mRNA technology will not stop at vaccine production, but in the not too distant future, a series of “diseases” such as cancer, stroke, or other dangerous diseases also promise to be “cleared”. The floating life of Kariko Katalin Kariko Katalin was born on January 17, 1955 in Szolnok (Hungary), in a cottage without amenities, but full of love for a family home. Kariko Katalin inherited a gene for biology from her father, a pork salesman, a gene for research perseverance from her mother, an accountant, and was inspired by her passion for biology from the teachers at the school she attended. study. Due to poverty, Kariko Katalin devoted herself to her university years, winning a scholarship to the People’s Republic of Hungary, the most prestigious scholarship at that time. Katalin went on to study for a doctorate, then worked at the biological research center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Szeged. Kariko Katalin pursues mRNA technology. It is an area that requires a lot of investment. Hungary in the 1980s was the most liberal and open country in the former Soviet bloc, but it also didn’t have the money to fund major research. Kariko Katalin lost her job at the age of 30. She initially looked for a job in the European Union, but nowhere would accept it, because Katalin had no significant scientific achievements. One afternoon in 1985, Kariko Katalin and her husband took their 2-year-old daughter out of Hungary to find her way to America. The only asset of any value is the old car, which sold for £900 on the black market. To make it through, Kariko Katalin had to cut open her daughter’s toy teddy bear, insert £900, and then sew it back up. Initially in the US, Kariko Katalin was accepted to work at Temple University, but soon her group was disbanded because of lack of funding. In 1989, Kariko Katalin joined the faculty of pharmacy at the University of Pennsylvania. Although she is a full professor, this is the most difficult time, the salary is very low and no one believes her. Things took a turn for the worse in 1995, Kariko couldn’t get funding, couldn’t find a project, and the University of Pennsylvania decided to fire her. It was a horrible time. The room Kariko Katalin lived in was leaking in every evening rain. She has just been diagnosed with cancer while her husband is in Hungary and cannot come to the US because of visa problems. How much time and dedication work seems to be slipping out of hand. “I started to suspect that maybe I wasn’t good, I wasn’t smart. I try to tell myself that everything is here, I just need to do better experiments,” said Kariko Katalin. Turning point In 1998, Kariko Katalin finally received the first $100,000 grant. Strangely enough, that year she also met a man of her life. It was that fateful afternoon, Kariko Katalin went to photocopy documents, she met Drew Weissmen, a colleague who had just moved from the National Institutes of Health. In the meantime, Kariko Katalin told Weissmen about the idea of ​​creating mRNA. Immediately Weissmen saw before his eyes a priceless fortune. Weissmen decided to invest, collaborate with Kariko Katalin, determined to develop mRNA technology in the field of biomedicine. In 2005, the attenuated version of mRNA was released. After reading the study, Derrick Rossi, a Canadian stem cell expert who is doing a PhD student at Stanford University, was amazed. The time has come. Realizing a super profitable business opportunity, Rossi quietly sought investment capital, he founded a small company, named Moderna. In Germany, a new research team also discovered the potential of Kariko Katalin, a new company BioNTech was founded, based in the US. In 2013, BioNTech hired Karko Katalin as a senior mRNA specialist. Moderna and BioNTech did not do much until 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Moderna promoted the production of vaccines by mRNA technology, adding the company BioNTech invested by Pfizer billions of dollars determined to turn their ideas into Kariko Katalin come true.

COVAX-19 mechanism. (Artwork: ABC News) In 2020, the Mechanism of “Global Access to Vaccines Against Covid-19” (COVAX for short) was established to help all countries have the opportunity to have quick, equitable and equal access to vaccines. prevent Covid-19. However, the goals of the above initiative are being “missed” due to lack of capital and selfishness of some developed countries. Launched in 2020, COVAX aims to buy two billion doses of vaccine to distribute to countries supporting the fight against Covid-19 before the end of 2021. However, the above ambitious plan is at risk of bankruptcy when Statistics show that, so far, only 68 million doses of vaccine from COVAX have been delivered, reaching 3.4% of the plan. Meanwhile, by the end of May 2021, there were 1.5 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine distributed worldwide, but only about 0.3% of them reached countries with low income. low input. World health experts point out that the disappointing results mentioned above are not due to the lack of efforts by the people in charge of the COVAX program of the World Health Organization (WHO), but mainly due to a lack of funding. There is a shortage of vaccine supplies, and rich countries are unwilling to share vaccines with poor countries. COVAX is intended to be a not-for-profit financial attraction structure. Accordingly, rich countries contribute financially to research many different vaccines at the same time to find some effective vaccines, and then provide them for free to 92 low-income countries who cannot afford to buy them. vaccine against Covid-19. For this mechanism to work, there needs to be enough rich countries to invest and commit to receive vaccines through COVAX. However, in reality, this initiative did not receive the necessary funds to support research and purchase the vaccine in the early stages. Even, many rich countries have signed contracts to buy vaccines individually with manufacturers such as Pfizer, Moderna, delaying the implementation of contracts for large-scale production of vaccines in 2021 under the COVAX mechanism. A major problem hindering COVAX’s vaccine supply efforts is the tight supply of vaccines. Part of the reason for this is the serious epidemic situation in India. The main vaccine supplier for COVAX is the Serum Institute of India, which is producing the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, with the outbreak of the disease, the planned supply of vaccine for COVAX had to be diverted to serve India’s domestic demand. WHO and the Global Vaccine Alliance Gavi, representing the organizations initiating the COVAX Mechanism, have just issued a statement stating that an additional $2 billion is needed to increase the coverage of immunization programs to nearly 30 million. %. To secure vaccine delivery this year and early 2022, COVAX needs the above amount before June 2 to close the supply. According to the original target, COVAX is expected to provide two billion doses of vaccine to countries in 2021 and 1.8 billion doses in early 2022. “Financial bottlenecks” are hindering goals and efforts COVAX’s vaccine delivery force. COVAX initiative managers also warn that, if the current emergency shortage of a Covid-19 vaccine is not addressed, “the consequences could be dire.” The above fact shows that COVAX’s “vaccine for everyone” and “leave no country behind” plan are being delayed. This is not only a problem of COVAX founders and managers, but a big global problem. Because, variants of this virus and new waves of epidemics can enter and re-emerge in developed countries at any time. The only way for humanity to win the current pandemic together is for governments and people of countries, especially developed countries, to share difficulties, distribute vaccines appropriately, and join hands to fight Covid-19.

The effectiveness of the vaccine so far cannot be denied. The United States, although not widely open to the world, has dragged down its number of infections in just the past few months. Based on data collected during vaccination, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that the effectiveness of major vaccines such as Pfizer or Moderna is up to 95%. even with new variants. This makes it possible for American people to comfortably go out without having to wear a mask, while the US Government considers lifting the ban on international movement. Similar effects have also been observed in Israel and Europe, where vaccination rates have reached 60% – that is, herd immunity can be generated. The “miracle” that brought life back to its normal rhythm seemed to be at last. Small doses of vaccines are becoming the hope of the whole world in the fight against COVID. However, at the same time, a new wave of infections broke out in India. Since mid-April, an additional 5 million new infections have been recorded in this South Asian country. The number of new infections continuously reached approximately 300 thousand cases per day, of which several thousand people died from the disease every day. The epidemic tsunami was so great that it knocked down India’s health system in just a few days, a real disaster. It is hard to believe, until the 4th wave of infections broke out, India was the country with the 3rd highest number of COVID vaccines in the world and was a hope for the whole world thanks to its huge vaccine supply. However, the number of nearly 100 million doses of vaccine administered out of a population of 1.3 billion is still too small to achieve a state of herd immunity, as epidemiologists hope. The government’s subjectivity then caused the contagion to erupt violently at a time when major religious ceremonies were held in this huge country. Consequences for the people and country of India so far have not been fully enumerated, but more dangerous, it is slowing down the whole world’s efforts to open up, when the supply of vaccines is mainly for people. Poor countries under the WHO COVAX program have stalled, because India has urgently applied a ban on vaccine exports to save itself first. In addition, the fourth wave of infections has also begun to spread around the world, from Asia, Africa to South America, where vaccination rates are far from reaching the thresholds that can create health problems. herd immunity. No one can stand alone The Indians cannot be blamed for the decision to close the vaccine supply at this time, because indeed the images and death figures every day in the newspaper make anyone horrified. Before that, it was India that took the lead in efforts to help the poorer people to have access to 66 million doses of vaccine in the first quarter of this year. Now that responsibility needs to be reinforced. In contrast, the US, UK, EU and Israel have come up with plans to reopen. Learning from India’s mistakes, these countries have been more cautious. From May 23, tourists can return to Israel and the EU if they comply with the mandatory conditions. The problem is that if that rule is followed, there are not many qualified guests. Because, in addition to having received the correct vaccines recognized by the EU, that traveler must also be from countries with the number of new infections below 25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous 14 days. Those are the countries that the EU calls “safe”. However, there are currently only 7 countries outside the EU that meet this criterion, such as Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, etc., but that list does not include the US. That is, the invitation to travel to Europe is still only “give it up”. The door was opened but very few people could enter. The “Indian lesson” makes us realize that vaccination speed will determine the success or failure of a global vaccine strategy. As the United States and Israel quickly immunized the majority of the population, the SARS-CoV-2 virus was easily defeated. But, the drip vaccination rate will not be enough to create herd immunity and even allow the virus to mutate against the same old vaccines. Finding a vaccine for the poor is never easy. The fourth wave of contagion, therefore, has broken out in these very countries, with new variants that are more dangerous and could completely hit countries that already have high vaccination rates. Therefore, in order to solve the problem at the root, it is the rich countries that will have to take the lead in a new effort, to rescue the worldwide shortage of vaccines. Conflicts of interest A group of 13 countries has been identified by the World Bank (WB) as holding control and global distribution of vaccines. Among these, there are of course big countries like India, China, Russia, the G7 group and a few other European countries like Austria, Switzerland, Sweden. They are collectively known with a beautiful name, “The Club of Vaccine Producing Countries”. This club controls up to 88% of vaccines and 91% of vaccine companies in the world. Among them, mainly developed countries in the West. It is not surprising that the US and EU have achieved the highest vaccination rates in the world in a short time. Despite earlier claims to share vaccines with the world, “vaccine nationalism” prevailed initially. They have even started to have an oversupply of vaccine in their inventory after the last 3 months of intense vaccination. Therefore, when making the call for the rescue of vaccines in the world, both WHO and the United Nations are directly targeting this group of countries. Now it’s time for them to extend their hand to play the role of “saving the world”. However, this is also the time when the controversy broke out the most. The US has announced that it will deliver 70 million doses of its vaccine to developing countries between now and July. The EU will also contribute back to the COVAX program, after a temporary withdrawal to keep the vaccine for itself. But, even so, it’s still not enough. Because the most advanced vaccines being used by the US and EU require extremely complex preservation technologies that are not easy for poor or developing countries to meet. In Africa, hundreds of thousands of doses of vaccines have been destroyed, even though they still have their expiry date, because they cannot guarantee the storage conditions on the way to users. This situation may be even more serious, when the number of vaccines from the EU and the US is brought in in large numbers in the near future. And the cost of high-end vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna is never cheap, when Pfizer – BioNtech or Moderna apply the most advanced technologies that not even Russia or China have access to. A new call has been made, for rich countries to share vaccine copyrights with poor countries, in order to create a vaccine that suits them. However, advanced genetic technologies are copyrighted by major pharmaceutical companies, where they want to hold the secret not only for this COVID vaccine. As a result, the controversy has shifted from the states to the people of the vaccine-hungry poor countries, with the wealthy owners of the big pharmaceutical companies. Loss of motivation to research to find new products is the reason that big pharmaceutical companies rely on to protect their patents. Meanwhile, inequality in vaccine distribution has serious consequences for the lives of hundreds of millions of other people. Still, it wasn’t easy for those wealthy owners to give in. Therefore, before relying on the “kindness” of pharmaceutical companies, the most concrete thing that rich countries can do is probably just to try to fill this inequality by giving poor countries the opportunity to do so. access to their starting surplus vaccine resources. Saving people is actually saving yourself.
Tu Uyen

Anthony and his wife invited 9 people to a luxurious gala dinner at their apartment. Snacks such as fruit jelly are contained in large syringes, while drinks are poured into boxes labeled Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson – 3 companies that provide Covid-19 vaccines, according to NY Post. “We waited too long to meet everyone. It’s time to have fun again,” Anthony said. The party was planned by celebrity event organizer Amanda Orso. Orso said she has coordinated similar events in other cities like Miami, Florida. “It’s not too ostentatious or cheesy, but elevated to a more elaborate party,” Orso said. Laurence Anthony’s party was nicely decorated. Photo: NY Post. Like Laurence Anthony, Karina Freedman (51 years old, from Manhasset, Long Island), owner of two skin care clinics, also plans a “vaccination party” for mid-May 2021. “Everyone can finally get together and celebrate. Surely everyone will be very happy,” Freedman shared. Freedman plans to give attendees gift bags containing healing crystals with the wishes “Be happy, stay healthy, good luck”. While many people hire event planning services to assist with planning, others only do small parties with relatives and friends. Leticia Rossi and Guilherme Baglioli (living in Austin, Texas) moved into a new home in January 2020. Due to the pandemic, the young couple could not hold a housewarming party. When their areas reopened from March 10 according to Governor Greg Abbott’s decision, Rossi and Baglioli joined a group of close friends for a dinner at home. All had previously been vaccinated. “We finally got to hug and talk to each other. It’s good that everyone is at peace,” Rossi wrote on his personal Instagram page. However, experts say that gathering and partying at this time is too early and risks a stronger outbreak. Although vaccination has been widely conducted and the number of new cases has decreased, the Covid-19 epidemic is still raging in many places across the United States, according to The Guardian. In early March 2021, despite criticism from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alabama, Texas and Mississippi still decided to lift epidemic prevention restrictions, according to the CDC. BBC. Florida beaches are packed with people. Photo: Reuters. In Florida, many young people flock here to party and celebrate spring break when the state lifts anti-epidemic measures. Quite a few people said they were “not in the at-risk group”. Therefore, they are not concerned about Covid-19. And in Las Vegas, after a long closure, pool parties are “covering” again as more and more people are vaccinated. “Four months ago, Las Vegas was like a ghost city. Now pool party participants have to distance themselves. We are required to wear masks outside the pool area,” Alyssa Waggoner (25 years old) told Insiders.

Tokyo’s overlapping messages have drawn criticism, as the country lags behind countries like the US in vaccinations. Japan has recorded about 695,000 new coronavirus infections and 12,000 deaths. The country is facing a new wave of infections in the context of the Tokyo Olympics approaching. Many Japanese prefectures are still in a state of emergency to limit the spread. Tokyo has contracts with three suppliers, under which it will have 120 million doses of AstraZeneca, 50 million doses of Moderna (to be completed by the end of September) and is negotiating an additional 50 million doses, along with 194 doses of Pfizer calculated. until the end of this year. With this number, Japan will have enough vaccine to vaccinate the entire population of 126 million people, according to Japan Times . On May 21, the country approved the use of the Moderna vaccine for people 18 years of age and older, but AstraZeneca has not yet been approved for the public. The Japanese government’s vaccination program is using the Pfizer vaccine, while the Moderna vaccine will be rolled out from next week in Tokyo and Osaka. Many concerns when using vaccines The biggest barrier to new vaccine doses available in Japan is the screening process, which evaluates efficacy and safety based on clinical trial data. Like other covid-19 vaccines, doses of AstraZeneca are classified as an emergency measure in pandemic response in Japan, used only when the Health Ministry allows the city governments. The licensing action requires a separate approval process, which includes a subcommittee on vaccines from the Ministry of Health meeting to discuss the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Japan in a broader context based on: fruit; alternatives from Pfizer and Moderna; Japanese immunization schedule and potential side effects. Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine is shipped in Tokyo, Japan, February 16. Photo: AP. However, the road to deploying vaccines in the real world is still fraught with thorns, due to growing concerns about potential side effects of vaccines. There have been reports of a small number of people receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine developing blood clots, including in some cases death. This condition usually occurs in younger age groups. The UK reported 79 cases of AstraZeneca vaccination at the end of March, out of 20.2 million doses administered. As a result, 19 people died, of which 11 were under the age of 50. This has led some countries to restrict vaccination of the elderly – a direction that seems unlikely for Japan. The plan is still open Japan has given the Pfizer vaccine to the elderly and will start providing the Moderna vaccine at mass vaccination sites on May 24. The country has guaranteed enough doses for more than 122 million people, of which more than 110 million people aged 16 and over are allowed to receive the vaccine. Vaccination site for people 65 and older in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan on April 12. Photo: Kyodo. Given that Japan already has sufficient supplies for the vaccination campaign for the elderly, with a goal of completing it by the end of July, the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for this age group in Japan is unlikely. On May 21, the vaccine subcommittee continued to discuss what should be done with the AstraZeneca vaccine. It is not yet clear when a decision will be made on the matter, the Health Ministry said. With so many people waiting to be vaccinated, one expert argues that the government should not ignore any vaccine. Otherwise, the Japanese public, with the exception of the elderly, will not receive any vaccines until the fall. “We may not even get there by the end of the year,” Gakushuin University economics professor Wataru Suzuki wrote in a commentary for Nikkei . “Certainly people who want to be protected from the virus as soon as possible have a need to be vaccinated, similar to those who want a vaccine passport to be able to travel abroad on business, and the Ministry of Health is going too far by how to eliminate options,” he argued. Where will 120 million doses go? The Japanese government has reached an agreement to purchase 120 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, all manufactured in Japan, using undiluted solutions from the United States. Of these, 30 million will be manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo and KM Biologics, and 90 million doses will be manufactured by JCR Pharmaceuticals. However, it is not clear how many of these vaccines have been produced Nikkei Asia. Imports and production begin this spring. Daiichi Sankyo and KM are both preparing to ship the vaccine once it is approved by the government. The mid-range drug maker has started production using equipment and technology from AstraZeneca. JCR has announced plans to build a new factory. The US and Japan will have to find a way to handle the 120 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by the Universities of Oxford and AstraZeneca without any plans to use them. Photo: Reuters. AstraZeneca says its completed vaccine can be stored in the refrigerator for at least half a year at 2-8 degrees Celsius. It’s uncertain at this point how many vaccines are ready to be manufactured. If there is no decision on where to use the vaccine in the next six months, the stockpile could expire. The US has yet to start rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, the country has agreed to purchase 300 million doses and already has shipments ready to deliver. Currently, the US plans to ship the unused vaccine elsewhere.

Japan plans to produce the vaccine domestically. Illustration: CNN Shionogi is currently in discussions with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare about a framework that would allow the efficacy and safety of vaccines to be assessed even with small-scale trials. This manufacturer hopes to contribute to the early prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic by focusing on investment and management of resources. In addition, the company has also completed a production line capable of supplying 10 million people a year with vaccines and plans to increase capacity further. Regarding Moderna’s vaccine approval process, on May 10, the pharmaceutical company Takeda said that clinical trials have confirmed that Moderna’s vaccine has helped increase antibodies in vaccinated people. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will evaluate and make a decision on whether to give the vaccine a “green light” as early as May 20.

Australia ordered 25 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine. AAP photo. Moderna pharmaceutical company said Australia will receive two batches of vaccines, including a booster batch of vaccine capable of dealing with new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel also said that the company intends to set up a vaccine production facility in Australia this year and this intention is being discussed by the company with the Australian government. Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine has not been approved in Australia, but the company said it will quickly submit an application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration for approval. Moderna’s vaccine is manufactured on the same mRNA technology platform as Pfizer’s vaccine and is considered highly effective in preventing deaths and hospitalizations due to Covid-19. Moderna’s vaccine has not yet been approved for use by the Australian Drug Administration, but it is being used widely in vaccination programs in the US. Thus, with the agreement with Moderna, Australia has ordered a total of nearly 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, enough to vaccinate nearly four times the population of this country.

According to the news agency DW The final decision on whether or not to give up the copyright for the COVID-19 vaccine will be decided by the 164-member World Trade Organization (WTO). Of these, more than 100 countries have supported negotiations towards the abolition of measures to protect intellectual property rights with the COVID-19 vaccine. However, as long as a country disagrees, the WTO cannot approve this proposal. However, there are still countries that oppose the US move. Press conference on this issue on May 6, a spokesman for the German government warned that this would make pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies lose motivation to research and develop vaccines, negatively impacting. the entire vaccine industry in general. Therefore “the protection of intellectual property is a resource for creativity and must be maintained in the future”. The waiver of the vaccine license does not help much in the goal of increasing world vaccination coverage. The reason, “the factors that limit the number of vaccines vaccinated are production capacity and quality standards, not the copyright story”. Protect effort and gi Oh degree ng l Ugh c research According to radio CNN In the current context, giving up intellectual property rights with vaccines is a very complicated problem. A vaccine that has been successfully researched and developed is a collection of a series of different ingredients and materials and each ingredient and ingredient is copyrighted by at least one company or researcher. wisdom. For example, inside the vaccine company Pfizer (USA) and Biotechnology Company BioNTech (Germany) produces 280 ingredients and materials are licensed from many parties from 19 countries. Once a waiver scenario occurs, anyone can freely access and use the ingredients and ingredients in this vaccine – causing significant damage to Pfizer, BioNTech and others. holding the copyrights of those ingredients and materials. Medical staff in the capital Berlin (Germany) prepare the vials of vaccines to be vaccinated in April. Photo: DW “A single dose of vaccine contains all intellectual property from licensing agreements, copyrights, industrial designs to trade secret protection laws, patent secrets. If the copyright for the COVID-19 vaccine is abandoned, how can this be enforced? ” – Intellectual property rights expert Achal Prabhala of the Shuttleworth Foundation (South Africa) analyzed. Mr. Prabhala also affirmed that intellectual copyright is the backbone of the entire pharmaceutical and medical industry because it is difficult and time-consuming to research and create a product that is safe to use in humans. The recognition and protection of copyright is a way of respecting the efforts of researchers. The risk of technology secrets disclosure Another equally important issue when it comes to vaccine licensing issues is the protection of vaccine technology and formulation. Currently, Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna (USA) are the pharmaceutical companies and technology companies leading the use of new generation mRNA technology to significantly increase the effectiveness of vaccines. This technology is also evaluated to be highly applicable not only in the prevention of COVID-19 but also in other diseases in the future. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies in Russia or China have not fully applied this technology; Vaccines that these countries produce and put into use do not have mRNA technology, so the effectiveness level is also somewhat not as high. “Pfizer and Moderna took years of research to develop these vaccines. China and Russia and other countries both want to access it. Their goal is to possess the underlying technology to make vaccines not only to prevent COVID-19 but also for other diseases, ”said former US Ambassador to China Gary Locke. Reuters . In the event that the vaccine rights are abandoned, Beijing will likely force the above-mentioned pharmaceutical firms to hand over the technology if they want to operate in the Chinese market. On the other hand, Beijing may also ask other companies to generate income for such information without fear of being criticized for stealing foreign company secrets. If pharmaceutical companies refuse to provide information, they will face many legal consequences. Remember, intellectual property rights have been a big question between the US and China for many years now, and has been one of the main reasons for the outbreak of the US-China trade war in 2018. • EU completed a contract to buy 1.8 billion vaccine money Associated Reuters May 10 quoted Mr. Thierry Breton – Commissioner in charge of industry and domestic markets the European Union (EU) said that this bloc will not continue to buy vaccine COVID-19 by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (UK-Switzerland). Swedish) production. The reason AstraZeneca has not met its commitment to supply vaccines to the EU. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, the EU received only 67 million doses of vaccine from AstraZeneca, although the initial target was 300 million doses. It is expected that in the second quarter, the EU will receive an additional 250 million doses. The remaining 280 million doses will be delivered to the EU by AstraZeneca during the last six months of 2021. In addition to legal disputes with the EU, AstraZeneca’s vaccine reputation has also deteriorated due to information related to adverse reactions. Some European countries such as Denmark have stopped using AstraZeneca’s vaccine, while in most other countries in the region, this vaccine is only used for people over 55 years old. After discontinuing the contract with AstraZeneca, the EU plans to order more vaccines using mRNA technology such as Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna. In fact, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said over the weekend that the EU has officially completed a contract to buy up to 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine over the next two years.

From Notker Blechner, tagesschau.de So far it has seemed that children are largely spared from Corona. Many who were infected with Covid-19 had asymptomatic or mild disease. Serious illnesses were rare. “I haven’t had a bad case so far,” says pediatrician Axel Gerschlauer from Bonn, regional spokesman for the professional association of paediatricians. But there have also been deaths in children in connection with a corona infection. Long-term effects are even more common. More than 250 cases of the PIMS syndrome (“Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome”) have already been counted. This is an immune reaction that occurs a few weeks after infection, especially in children, and can be life-threatening.

Some children suffer from long-term effects

Surveys from abroad are also alarming, according to which numerous children and adolescents suffer from “long covid”, i.e. post-viral symptoms weeks or months after the infection. According to recently published data from Great Britain, 15 percent of adolescents between the ages of eleven and 16 complained of persistent headaches, sudden learning disorders or a drop in performance in sports five weeks after the corona illness. In a study by a clinic in Rome, it was even found that almost half (43 percent) of the children infected with Corona had at least one symptom that was affecting them four months later. “Children are not the drivers of the pandemic,” said Jörg Dötsch, President of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine. However, since February the incidence among the youngest has also increased significantly in Germany. On the one hand, this may be due to the numerous tests that were carried out in schools. On the other hand, the proportion of people over the age of 70 in cases of illness has fallen significantly, as they have largely been vaccinated. Pediatricians consider it important to vaccinate children and adolescents as quickly as possible – especially in view of the mutated South African, British and Brazilian corona viruses. This is the only way to achieve herd immunity. Experts now believe that 80 to 90 percent of the population should be vaccinated to ensure collective protection. Because the more contagious the virus, the higher the vaccination rate must be. “If vaccination is not carried out across all population groups, extensive immunity cannot arise in the general population,” says Thomas Fischbach, President of the Association of Pediatricians. Heinz Hilgers, President of the Child Protection Association, also says: “We will not get out of this pandemic without vaccinations for children.”

Schoolchildren in Israel already vaccinated

Vaccine manufacturers understand the importance of children and teenagers. “Younger children, who make up a large part of the world’s population, play a crucial role in our fight against Covid-19,” said BioNTech and Pfizer recently. The German-American company duo wants to accelerate the development of vaccines for children and adolescents. BioNTech boss Ugur Sahin spoke of promising studies at the analysts’ balance sheet conference. A phase III study in 12 to 15 year olds was particularly successful. The vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in this age group. None of the vaccinated 2260 participants in the study was sick with Covid-19, it said. “The first results of the study in adolescents indicate that children are particularly protected by the vaccination,” said CEO Sahin. BioNTech-Pfizer plans to apply for emergency approval in the USA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the coming weeks. Pfizer boss Albert Bourla is confident that the first young Americans will be vaccinated in the US before the start of the next school year. So far, the drug has been approved for people aged 16 and over in countries such as the USA and Israel. In Israel, the first pupils under the age of 18 were vaccinated.

The very little ones still have to wait

Now there should also be clinical tests for vaccines in children between six months and eleven years. If the study is positive, the vaccine could be used in the youngest from the beginning of 2022. The US company Moderna and the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca were faster. They had started testing their corona vaccines on younger children even before BioNTech-Pfizer. The results of the Moderna study for the vaccine in 12 to 17 year olds are expected in the middle of the year. The US FDA has approved Moderna tests on children aged six months to twelve years. AstraZeneca began a study of its vaccine in 6 to 17 year olds in the UK in February. Johnson & Johnson is also planning its own pediatric studies. The European Medicines Agency has obliged the four major suppliers to also test their vaccines for children.

BioNTech and Pfizer clearly ahead

But so far BioNTech-Pfizer has been ahead in the race for children’s vaccines. Analysts like Daniel Wendorff from Commerzbank are convinced of this. The Mainz vaccine is so far the only one that has been proven to be effective in 12 to 15 year olds. BioNTech and Pfizer would have such great market power anyway that the two companies could quickly increase production. When it comes to absolute vaccination doses and the availability of data, BioNTech-Pfizer is a leader, says Wendorff. The EU is increasingly relying on BioNTech-Pfizer. Brussels is about to finalize a huge order for 1.8 billion cans, the majority of which are for children and young people. The rest are booster vaccinations that are likely to be required in the years to come.

First approval in late summer?

Thomas Mertens, the chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), has shown confidence that in Germany Corona vaccine available for children at the end of the year will be. Association president Dötsch even hopes that “we will get a vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds in late summer or autumn at the latest, for smaller children it will probably take longer”. However, other experts warn against being too optimistic. “Children are not little adults,” says pediatrician Gerschlauer. You can’t give them half the dose just because they’re half the size of adults. The immune system of the little ones is completely different. In addition, there is the problem that it is more difficult to find children as test subjects for studies. Smarter would like to see a vaccine approved for the youngest of our society as soon as possible. Because children in particular are the biggest losers in the corona pandemic. In his practice he currently counts more young patients with mental disorders than ever before. “Many have eating and sleeping disorders or even depression.” This is confirmed by Jörg Dötsch, President of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine: “70 to 90 percent of children are under severe psychological stress from the pandemic,” he estimates. “We’re really worried about the little ones.”

The Peter Doherty Institute of Infectious and Immunology will join Monash University, the University of Melbourne and a number of other research centers as the recipients of funding to develop the above plan. Vaccination against Covid-19 in Australia is facing many challenges due to lack of supply. (Source: Reuters) Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute said they are working on a “preventive” vaccine with mRNA technology that can be modified to fight variations. Mr. Merlino said that this plan is an important event, not only for Victoria but for the entire country of Australia. Besides, he affirmed that the support budget will be increased when the project is developed in the future. Australia is currently only capable of producing AstraZeneca’s vaccines, with the initial plan being that the CSL facility in the city of Melbourne will produce more than 50 million doses. Vaccination against Covid-19 in Australia is facing many challenges due to the lack of vaccine supply, as well as the safety of the vaccine in relation to the side effects of thrombosis. (Reuters)

Acting Premier of Victoria, James Merlino. (Source: abc.net.au) On the morning of April 21, Mr. James Merlino, acting Premier of Victoria ( Australia ) announced that it would provide AUD 50 million (approximately US $ 38.6 million) to launch a project to develop vaccine production technology for mRNA at state vaccine research facilities. Under the project, it will take at least 12 months for Australia to be able to produce any vaccine under it mRNA technology . The move will pave the way for vaccines using mRNA technology such as Pfizer and Moderna to be produced in Australia, according to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Sydney. The Peter Doherty Institute of Infectious and Immunology will join Monash University, the University of Melbourne and a number of other research centers as the recipients of the funding to develop the above plan. Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute say they are working on a “preventive” vaccine with mRNA technology that can be modified to fight variations. Mr. Merlino said that this plan is an important event, not only for Victoria but for the whole of Australia. Besides, he affirmed that the support budget will be increased when the project is developed in the future. Australia is currently only capable vaccine production of AstraZeneca with the initial plan that the CSL facility in the city of Melbourne will produce more than 50 million doses. Vaccination work COVID-19 Australia is facing many challenges due to the lack of vaccine supplies, as well as the safety of this vaccine related to the side effects of thrombosis.

From Axel John, SWR In Germany, the vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 have been running for almost four months. It seems to be becoming increasingly clear that the vaccines from the manufacturers BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna with the new mRNA principle work best. AstraZeneca’s preparation with its gene-based vector vaccine is only given to elderly patients after a few cases of thrombosis. The Johnson & Johnson vector vaccine also had concerns long before it has now been released . Will mRNA technology dominate the market in the future?

Initially skeptical about mRNA methods

Norbert Pfeiffer can still remember the beginning of the Covid crisis in the spring of last year. The chairman of the board of the Unimedizin Mainz had quickly heard that Özlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin work on an mRNA vaccine against corona. Pfeiffer knows the BioNTech founders well. Türeci and Sahin had worked as cancer specialists in the clinic for years. Already there they pushed their idea of ​​an mRNA process – albeit in the fight against cancer.

Messenger RNA Messenger RNA, or mRNA for short, is a messenger molecule that brings genetic information from the cell nucleus to the ribosomes. These are the areas of the cell in which – according to the instructions for the genetic information – proteins are formed. The vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 use mRNA to stimulate the human body to produce its own antibodies as “drugs” against the coronavirus. Vaccines based on mRNA can be developed, adapted and manufactured more quickly than conventional preparations such as vector or dead vaccines. “There was skepticism about the mRNA technology against corona. Conventional vaccinations, such as those against flu, have been administered with great success for decades. But vector vaccines, for example against Ebola or dengue fever, have also been in use for a long time many hoped again in the Corona crisis. But this assessment has completely reversed “, Pfeiffer draws an initial interim balance. “The mRNA active ingredient against Covid-19 was finished earlier. With around 95 percent, the vaccination with the BioNTech active ingredient is very effective. It is thus far above the other protection rates. That was not expected.” And even after the clinical tests, the mRNA vaccine has proven itself, said Pfeiffer. “Overall, the side effects were very moderate. At AstraZeneca with the vector vaccine, there were very rare exceptional cases of thrombosis. Even if this is a good vaccine, the mRNA vaccine performed better in many areas and made a breakthrough. ”

Norbert Pfeiffer still knows the BioNTech founders Türeci and Sahin from their work as cancer specialists at the University of Mainz. Image: Mainz University Hospital

Vector vaccines are, however, indispensable

But is this only a one-off success in the fight against Corona or will the mRNA process also establish itself in other areas? “I’ll compare that with the development of cameras,” explains Pfeiffer. “Cameras with film were very good 20 years ago. The first digital cameras were very expensive and could hardly keep up in terms of quality. Today there are hardly any cameras with film. Many companies have invested, researched, produced and competed. I suspect that in the mRNA process it could be similar. ” At present, mRNA vaccines could by far not meet the global demand with a world population of almost 7.8 billion people, says Pfeiffer. “They can produce, store and administer vector vaccines cheaply all over the world. The preparations are very robust. The mRNA process, on the other hand, is expensive, and the ingredients are very susceptible to fluctuations in the cold chain, for example. We can use them in the longer term Vector vaccines don’t do without. ”

“The world of vaccines will never be the same”

Different location, similar assessment: Matthias Kromayer works on the board of MIG AG. The former management consultant has a doctorate in molecular biology. MIG AG is currently investing in 30 start-ups – one focus: biotechnology. The company was one of the first donors at BioNTech. In 2008 the Mainz start-up received a good 13 million euros from MIG. The potential of the mRNA process was recognized early in Munich. “During the corona crisis, only one company from the pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Merck and Pfizer backed the right horse – namely Pfizer with BioNTech,” says Kromayer. Even before that, not much had happened in terms of research for years. The HPV vaccination against cervical cancer was the last real innovation. Vaccines have only been combined – nothing more. “Medical research has changed completely in the past year due to mRNA. The world of vaccines will never be the same again,” Kromayer is convinced. With the mRNA technology, the researchers would have a completely new approach. Every disease has a biological origin, explains Kromayer. mRNA as a messenger substance is always included in these processes, and that’s why you can start here – not only with SARS-CoV-2. Kromayer cites a current example from BioNTech: Just a few weeks ago, the company achieved the first promising results against multiple sclerosis – also using mRNA. “These are huge possibilities. The mRNA technology can also help the fastest in the fight against Corona. Should a new mutation soon appear after the British variant, you would have a new vaccine against it within 48 hours. After quality controls, the new preparation could then available after six weeks. ”

EU relies on mRNA in the long term

The subject of speed in the pandemic now also plays a major role in Brussels. After the EU Commission ordered too late and too few vaccines last year, people now seem to want to learn from their mistakes. So far, the EU has ordered 300 million cans from AstraZeneca and 200 million from Johnson & Johnson. It shouldn’t be more here, because both manufacturers offer vector vaccines.

“Only Pfizer bet on the right horse,” says MIG AG board member Matthias Kromayer. Image: MIG AG “I see no reason to saddle up again. The mRNA vaccines protect better and have fewer side effects,” explains Peter Liese. The Christian Democrat is the health policy spokesman for the EPP Group in the European Parliament. “In the long term, the main issue is how do we get the best vaccine that will protect us from further mutations in 2022? All of this speaks in favor of mRNA. The Commission should also rely on it in the long term.” This assessment fits in with the fact that the Commission only started negotiations with BioNTech / Pfizer on a third contract a few days ago. It is about 1.8 billion doses of vaccines for the years 2022 and 2023. There was no mention of other providers.

mRNA technology speeds everything up

The mRNA technology accelerates research enormously – but what does that mean for the testing authorities such as the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA)? For medical professional Pfeiffer this is clear: “The authorities have to speed up. Further Covid mutations must be expected in the short term. The mRNA principle has already been approved and will only be sharpened for a new variant.” The same applies to other diseases – such as cancer. “If an individualized therapy is only developed for one patient using mRNA, the authorities cannot check everything again. That would take far too long for successful treatment. The principle has to be checked and approved once.” In Munich, too, analyst Kromayer speaks a lot about speed. “We would never have dreamed of this rapid development. We had the hope of getting the first approved personalized cancer vaccines based on mRNA from 2024. BioNTech and Moderna were the pacemakers in the Covid crisis. Many other companies are now turning to mRNA -Technology jump and that will speed everything up again. “

Patient COVID-19 is being treated at a hospital in Bry-Sur-Marne, France, on April 15, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA Prime Minister Castex confirmed there is evidence that contagion in the past 10 days has tended to decrease. Castex also announced that measures to restrict people from leaving the area within a 10-kilometer radius around the house will be removed from May 3. France is implementing a third blockade to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but this prevention measure is considered to be more relaxed than the previous two times. During the 3rd blockade, outdoor activities are still encouraged to improve the mental health of residents. Most of the non-essential stores, cafes, restaurants, and cultural venues are closed. In a new statement, Mr. Castex said that shops, certain cultural and sporting activities and cafes could be reopened from mid-May, depending on the disease situation in Vietnam. at that moment. The French Prime Minister also emphasized that the government will allow regional openings, starting with regions with low COVID-19 prevalence. National curfew from 7:00 p.m. daily remains in place until further notice. Mr. Castex noted this measure will be reevaluated in mid-May but the government has not put in place a firm schedule for easing. To date, France has recorded a total of more than 5.4 million cases of COVID-19, of which 102,164 died. Over the past few days, the number of COVID-19 cases requiring special treatment has been contained below 6,000. After a slow start, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in France is accelerating, with more than 13 million people getting at least the first shot. From April 24, French people aged 55 and over will be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine from the American pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson. This is the fourth COVID-19 vaccine to be licensed in France, after the products of Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca. Meanwhile, to prevent the emergence of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the French Ministry of the Interior decided that all passengers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India and South Africa would have to undergo quarantine. At the accommodation for 10 days, under the supervision of French police. Currently, health officials in all countries are encouraging the implementation of measures to be alert for the types of viruses with faster spread rates. Also on April 22, Belgian health officials announced the presence of the virus variant in India in this country. Specifically, the new variant was discovered in 20 nursing students from Paris (France) to Belgium in mid-April. The group with a total of 43 students was quarantined upon entry. Experts say the group was infected from a super infectious patient, possibly a member of the group, or from another passenger also on the trip from France to Belgium. A variant of the virus detected in India called B.1.617 has also appeared in several other countries such as the US, Australia, Israel and Singapore. Concerned about this variant, some countries, including the UK, applied a restriction on travel with India.

The world has been getting COVID-19 vaccination for several months. Besides the hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be controlled, there is no small concern with the fact that a series of new virus variants have appeared and are still appearing. It can be said that the global market is in the race between the vaccine and the unknown virus variants. The COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson started being distributed in the US in early March amid dangerous spreading of the variants. Photo: GETTY IMAGES Many dangerous variations Virus strain means there is a mutation, changes in the genetic structure of the virus, causing the virus to change the way it works. In addition to the old virus strain, the world currently has many new variants such as B.1.1.7 (originated from England, has spread to more than 90 countries), B.1.351 from South Africa (has spread to more than 40 countries). , P1 and P2 from Brazil (has spread to 25 countries, some cases have been infected and recovered from being re-infected with variant P1), D614G from Europe, A.23.1 from Rwanda. In which the variant appeared from South Africa is said to be the most difficult to prevent and the most dangerous. Studies show that the vaccine strain B.1.351 of the vaccine from Pfizer / BioNTech and of AstraZeneca / Oxford is not as effective as the old vaccine. Clinical trials of vaccines by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax also showed that the ability to prevent this variant is not high. These variants – with a faster rate of spread, a higher risk of death, and an easier way to outdo existing vaccines – threaten efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, the appearance of the variants also points to another concern: More dangerous variants will emerge in the future if the world fails to win the current race. The current pace of immunization globally is worryingly slow, especially in poor countries. It can be understood that even though rich countries vaccinate rapidly, new variants may emerge in poor countries that have not yet had adequate immunization coverage. Understanding these risks, vaccine developers are working hard to increase effectiveness in coping with variants. And the global health organizations are also making efforts to accelerate the speed of global distribution and vaccination. These are difficult times. This will be our toughest time to see which side wins. If we can hold on for another month or six, there’s a big difference. TS PETER HOTEZ , Rector of Baylor College of Tropical Medicine (USA) Vaccine firms’ efforts The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines and Moderna’s vaccines (both doses) both use the mRNA molecule as the foundation. This molecule instructs the body to make a mutant protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which signals the immune system to fight off the mutant protein if encountered. The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine (two doses) uses a reprogrammed version of another virus, adenovirus, that uses the DNA encoding the mutant protein of SARS-CoV-2. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine (single dose) also uses adenovirus. With these two vaccine platforms, once they want to redirect to deal with new variants, developers will need to modify their DNA or mRNA codes. Fortunately, this can be done simply and quickly, but the disadvantage is that it will require expensive changes to the vaccine production process and more time to produce and distribute. Hoping to avoid these shortcomings, Pfizer is now considering the possibility of adding a third dose to the current two-dose regimen to reinforce the effectiveness of preventing new variants. Talk to the radio NBC News At the end of February, Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla was confident that “the third dose will increase the antibody response 10 to 20 times”. Moderna is also working on the possibility of giving one-dose booster to the current two-dose regimen. In addition, at the end of February Moderna sent a version of the vaccine optimized to cope with the variant in South Africa to the US National Institutes of Health for further study. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson is confident its vaccine is resistant to many more variants because it is developed later than the above brands. Johnson & Johnson are also working on a two-dose vaccine (currently only available in one-dose version). Last week Pfizer announced that it would soon launch the trial of COVID-19, a positive news that gives further hope to quell the pandemic. Meanwhile according to the news agency Reuters Currently, many Asian countries are speeding up the distribution of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, after a period of concerns about the safety of the information that this vaccination causes thrombosis appeared in Europe. Earlier this week, many countries and territories in Asia activated vaccination. Some regional leaders are also vaccinated to reinforce confidence, including the Head of the Administration of Taiwan Institute – Mr. To Trinh Xuong, Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha. In Europe, after a short hiatus, many continental countries have also restored this vaccination. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received the first dose last weekend and said “nothing strange”. The AstraZeneca vaccine is one of the few first available COVID-19 vaccines, available at a low cost and according to Reuters This vaccine will be at the heart of COVID-19 vaccination programs in most developing countries. The positive side of “vaccine diplomacy” Currently, the giants of vaccine COVID-19 (USA, China, India) are trying to expand distribution of vaccine globally. Compared to the US, the two countries India and China are more enthusiastic about implementing the campaign “vaccine diplomacy”. China has announced it will donate vaccines to 53 countries, and has already shipped millions of doses of its domestic vaccine to Asia, Africa and Latin America. When asked if the US could surpass China in “vaccine diplomacy” last week, the State Department spokesman did not respond. However, according to the news site The Hill The US is working with countries in the quartet group (India, Australia, Japan) to discuss providing vaccines to Asian countries to both stop the COVID-19 epidemic and as a counterbalance to China’s “vaccine diplomacy” campaign. National. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed this with three of their counterparts from February 18. During a meeting with G7 leaders last month, US President Joe Biden promised that the United States would donate 4 billion doses to the World Health Organization (WHO) Gavi vaccine alliance and possibly many more.

NDV-HXP-S is the first vaccine in clinical trials to use a new molecular design that is expected to produce more antibodies than current vaccines. With that, new vaccines could be made much easier than current vaccines. Low- and middle-income countries can either produce the NVD-HXP-S vaccine on their own or buy it back at low cost from neighboring countries. Photo: NY Times Existing vaccines from companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson must be made in specialized factories using ingredients that are difficult to buy. Meanwhile, the new vaccine can be produced from eggs. According to the NY Times, eggs are the raw material that produces billions of doses of flu vaccine each year in factories around the world. If the NDV-HXP-S vaccine is proven to be safe and effective, influenza vaccine manufacturers are capable of producing more than one billion doses of the vaccine each year. Low- and middle-income countries that are currently having trouble buying vaccines from richer countries can make NDV-HXP-S vaccines themselves or buy them at low cost from neighboring countries . “That was amazing. This is going to be the game changer, ”said Andrea Taylor, assistant director of the Center for Global Health Innovation at Duke University (USA). First, clinical trials have to determine that NDV-HXP-S is indeed effective in humans. The first phase of clinical trials will end in July, and the final phase will take a few months. However, animal trials have raised hope about the prospects of the new vaccine. The key to the Covid-19 vaccine The Covid-19 vaccine works by activating a natural immune mechanism in the human body. SARS-CoV-2 virus has a round shape and many spines surrounding the surface. These spikes are also known as ‘prickly proteins’, and they act as keys to help viruses enter cells. The vaccine will cause the body to produce resistance that helps to block these dendritic cells. However, injecting only mutant proteins into the body is not the best way to make vaccines because mutant proteins sometimes assume the wrong shape and prompt the immune system to produce the wrong antibodies. This happened long before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. In 2015, another coronavirus appeared to cause Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Jason McLellan, a biologist at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, and colleagues have begun building a MERS vaccine. Researchers want to use mutant protein surges as a target, but they have to take into account the fact that mutant protein is a shape-altering substance. When the protein is about to fuse with a cell, it changes from a tulip-like shape to a javelin-like shape. McLellan and colleagues have discovered a way to keep proteins locked in a tulip-like shape is to change 2 of the more than 1,000 building blocks in the protein into a compound called proline. The protein spike to the two new proline molecules is more likely to assume tulip shape called 2P. The researchers injected the 2P mutation into mice and found that the animal could easily fend off the MERS-CoV infection. Scientists have published research on this mutant protein boost, but received little public attention. By the end of 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has appeared and spread around the world. McLellan and his colleagues got into action, designing the 2P mutant for SARS-CoV-2. Within days, Moderna used that information to make the Covid-19 vaccine. Other companies quickly followed suit, applying the 2P mutation to Covid-19 vaccine makers and starting clinical trials. All three vaccines licensed so far in the US, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech, use 2P. Other vaccine manufacturers are also using 2P in vaccine trials. Novavax has had strong results with 2P mutant hemp protein increases in clinical trials and is expected to apply to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an emergency license within a few weeks. next. Eggs – the simple ingredient that makes up the vaccine The first wave of Covid-19 vaccine development required the use of specialized and expensive materials for its fabrication. Moderna’s RNA-based vaccines, for example, require genetic building blocks called nucleotides as well as fatty acids. These ingredients make up a vaccine produced in purpose-specific construction factories. Meanwhile, the production of the flu vaccine is based on just one study. Many countries have huge factories to produce low-cost flu vaccines, made up of eggs. The team at the PATH Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access wondered if scientists could create a cheap Covid-19 vaccine grown in chicken eggs. In this way, a vaccine factory for the flu can also produce Covid-19 vaccine. In New York (USA), a team of scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai already knew how to create such a vaccine using a bird virus called the harmless Newcastle virus. people. For years, scientists have been studying the Newcastle disease virus to create vaccines for a wide range of diseases. To develop the Ebola vaccine, for example, researchers added an Ebola gene to the unique Newcastle virus genome. Then, the scientists put the genetically modified virus into eggs, because this is a virus that causes disease in poultry, it multiplies rapidly in the eggs. Researchers have found that the Newcastle virus is prevented by Ebola proteins. Researchers at Mount Sinai have found that the NDV-HXP-S vaccine can protect mice well from disease. “I can say, this vaccine can protect all mice against the virus SARS-CoV-2. However, many people still do not understand the effects of this vaccine on humans, “said Peter Palese, lead researcher said. According to the NY Times, one egg can make 5-10 doses of the NDV-HXP-S vaccine, compared with just 1-2 doses of the flu vaccine. “We are very excited about this, because this could be a way of making a vaccine at low cost,” said Peter Palese. For some countries, the prospect of self-production of Covid-19 vaccine is highly desirable. However, Madhavi Sunder, an intellectual property expert at the Georgetown Law School, warns that the NDV-HXP-S vaccine will not help countries like Brazil get out of pandemic immediately when they are facing the tide. New Covid-19 translation wave. “We’re not talking about billions of doses of vaccine production. Instead, this strategy will be important for long-term vaccine production, not only for the Covid-19 epidemic but also for other possible pandemics in the future, ”Madhavi Sunder said.

COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. Photo: AFP / VNA On April 13, US federal health authorities recommended to suspend the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for “cautious” reasons, awaiting the results of investigating the possible link between the vaccination. this with thrombotic side effect. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reviewing six cases of thrombosis following the vaccination. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, on April 15, US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci hopes that US regulators will soon make a quick decision on resuming Johnson & Johnson’s vaccination, bringing the vaccine back. immunization program. The day before, the US CDC advisory committee postponed at least a week to vote on whether to resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to wait for more data on thrombotic risks. Mr. Fauci feared that the prolonged delay of the vaccine could affect people’s hesitancy. “I think we need to continue to emphasize that this is a very effective and usable vaccine that is very, very valuable in a global context,” he said. Following the US, some countries have made similar moves with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
On April 13, the South African Ministry of Health announced it had suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the country’s vaccination program, although South Africa has not received a report related to coagulation after 290,000 people in the country. has received the COVID-19 vaccine from the brands. Two weeks ago, South Africa licensed the use of vacicne Johnson & Johnson and so far only vaccinated this vaccine to health workers in the study framework. Before the above developments, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that the country has not decided whether to launch the Johnson & Johnson vaccine injection this week or not. He stated that the Netherlands will wait for information from the European Pharmaceutical Authority (EMA) before making a decision. In contrast, some countries continue to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Belgium has said it will not stop the vaccination at this stage. Poland started to vaccinate Johnson & Johnson when the government confirmed that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. Meanwhile, Spanish officials have not received the notice of stopping the Johnson & Johnson vaccination. For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it is monitoring global data of various reports to see if similar cases occur elsewhere, and it will take time. Time to evaluate vaccine data from Johnson & Johnson. Denmark completely discontinues the AstraZaneca vaccine; Thailand is still considered the mainstay Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-O-Cha (middle) was vaccinated against COVID-19 by AstraZeneca company in Bangkok, on March 16, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA Before the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine was also in the same situation. The AstraZeneca vaccine is suspected of causing thrombosis, causing a series of European countries to suspend use, despite WHO recommendations. Recently, on April 14, Denmark became the first European country to permanently stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about rare blood clotting side effects. Denmark thinks that AstraZeneca’s vaccine may not be needed because it has managed the COVID-19 pandemic and may just depend on the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Before that, from March 11, Denmark, along with Iceland and Norway, have suspended the use of this vaccine. Followed by a number of other European countries, including France, Germany and Italy. Federal Health Ministers and states in Germany unanimously recommend a second shot after getting the first shot with the AstraZeneca vaccine, under which one shot of the preparation is given to those under 60 years of age. This could be a second shot with another vaccine. In Bulgaria, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov also announced that the launch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the country could be stopped because people are not interested. The European Drug Administration – the European Union’s (EU) drug regulator – then recommended that countries continue to use vaccines as the benefits of vaccines far outweigh any potential risks. hidden from humans. Last week, the European pharmaceutical regulator listed clotting as an extremely rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Some countries have started to re-use the vaccine after the suspension, but limited in the number of people vaccinated. As is the case in the UK, the country says it will offer another vaccine for people under the age of 30. While some countries are vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Thailand Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be the mainstay of the Southeast Asian country’s COVID-19 vaccination program. Mr. Anutin confirmed that Thailand has the expertise to closely monitor vaccine information and the decision is based on science. Thailand’s vaccination campaign mainly relies on domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine and 2 million doses of Chinese vaccine to vaccinate about 35 million people, equivalent to 50% of the population – Thailand’s goal. must be reached by the end of 2021. Along with Thailand, Korea has decided to continue to vaccinate AstraZeneca for those who qualify. People younger than 30 years of age have not yet received the vaccine because the risk of blood clots outweighs the benefit of the vaccination. Continued reassurance and investigation of coagulation phenomenon after vaccination Health care workers give COVID-19 vaccine to people in Llanelli, South Wales (UK), April 9, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA While countries are moving differently with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, WHO continues to assert the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. On April 15, WHO Director in Europe Hans Kluge reaffirmed that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks. “Make it clear that there is no doubt that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in reducing hospital admissions for COVID-19 and preventing severe illness that leads to death. The WHO has recommended this vaccine as soon as possible,” he said. as possible for adults to increase resistance to the SARS-CoV-2 virus “. WHO officials also pointed out that out of the 200 million people who got the AstraZeneca vaccine, there are only a few rare cases of a blood clotting disorder. He emphasized that the risk of blood clots in patients with COVID-19 is much higher than in those receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. A study by scientists at the University of Oxford UK showed that COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of developing blood clots in the brain than those vaccinated against the disease. Data from over 500,000 patients with COVID-19 show that blood clotting occurs at an incidence of 39 out of 1,000,000 patients. Of the more than 480,000 people who received the COVID-19 vaccine made by BioNTech / Pfizer or Moderna, the incidence of coagulation was 4 / 1,000,000, while the rate was slightly higher for those receiving the vaccine. AstraZeneca – about 5 / 1,000,000 after the first injection. After the coagulation incident with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, the researchers found that this rare side effect only occurs with vaccines using adeno virus vector technology (the virus that causes the common cold). There has been no record of coagulation in people who received the vaccine using other technologies from Pfizer and Moderna. However, the link between the technology using adeno virus vectors and coagulation is only a simple guess, there is no evidence. Russian vaccine has not caused any blood clotting cases and is increasingly “expensive”. Vaccine Sputnik V in Moscow, Russia. Photo: AFP / VNA When Western countries investigated blood clotting side effects, the Gamaleya Research Institute – which develops the Russian vaccine Sputnik V – said the vaccine has not caused any adverse reactions related to blood clotting. According to the Gamaleya Institute, there is no reason to equate the safety of the Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca vaccines with Sputnik V. All three of these vaccines are vector-based, using the adeno virus to deliver the protein of SARS-CoV- 2 into human cells, helping to stimulate the immune system’s response. However, all three manufacturers use different structures and technologies in vaccine formulation. Iran is the latest country to order Russian vaccines. Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali confirmed that the contract to buy 60 million doses of Sputnik V has been signed and completed, enough to give 2 doses to 30 million people. Ambassador Kazem Jalali also announced that Iran will receive the vaccine by the end of 2021. Russia is also transferring technology to produce this vaccine to a number of countries. Most recently, the Korean company ISU Abxis on April 15 announced an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on the technology transfer and production of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for Korean companies. . It is expected that the production of vaccine trials will soon be deployed at a facility in Yongin, south of Seoul. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine is the second most popular vaccine in the world approved for use by national pharmaceutical regulators.

AstraZeneca / Oxford University COVID-19 Vaccine. Photo: AFP / VNA

In February 2021, a team of vaccine researchers at Oxford University started a study called Com-Cov, in which volunteers are given the first and second shots with two different vaccines. are Oxford / AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Now, the researchers will add Moderna and Novavax vaccines to the pilot program.

Matthew Snape, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Immunization at Oxford University and lead the study, said the focus of the study was to find out if the available COVID-19 vaccines could be used. more flexibly, with the use of one vaccine for the first shot and another for the second shot, or not.

Associate Professor Matthew Snape expects that if research can prove that the mixed vaccination produces the same immune response as the standard vaccination and does not significantly increase the response to the vaccine, there will be more. people completing the COVID-19 vaccination plan earlier. This will also assist the health system in responding to a shortage of any vaccines currently in use.

To expand this study, researchers are looking for more volunteers over the age of 50 who have received their first shot of the vaccine in the past 8 to 12 weeks. Volunteers, who received their first shot with the Oxford / AstraZeneca or Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, will be randomly assigned to receive a second shot with the same first shot or with the vaccine. Made by Moderna or Novavax.