LONDON, October 3. / TASS /. There is currently no need to use new coronavirus vaccines, but the world may need them next year. This assessment was made by Ugur Shahin, CEO and co-founder of the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech, interviewed by the British newspaper Financial Times on Sunday.
“There is no need [for new vaccines] this year. However, by the middle of next year, the situation may be different,” Shahin said.
According to him, the strains of coronavirus currently circulating in the world, including the delta strain, are more infectious than its original version, but they do not differ from it so much that it significantly affects the effectiveness of the vaccines used. At the same time, there is a high probability that strains that can “deceive” the immune system will appear in the future, which will require the development of new drugs.
“This virus is with us for a long time, and it will continue to adapt to existing conditions, – said the scientist. – We have no reason to believe that the immune system will be easier to cope with the next generation of coronavirus than with the current. Evolution [of the virus] is underway, and this process has just begun. “
Shahin, whose company has developed a vaccine against coronavirus, for the production and distribution of which the American Pfizer is responsible for worldwide, previously said that it will take 100 days for the creation of a new drug BioNTech and its partners.
To date, about 1.4 billion doses of BioNTech vaccine have been delivered to 120 countries, and the company's value is estimated at $ 85 billion. age, were awarded the Order of Merit for the Federal Republic of Germany – the only federal order of Germany. It is awarded to residents of the Federal Republic of Germany and foreign citizens for special services to Germany in the field of politics and economics, as well as in the social, spiritual and charitable spheres.
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