Corona vaccine: clinical trials planned from September

Researchers around the world are working on a vaccine against the coronavirus. The first clinical tests are planned in Germany from September. The news ticker.

• Companies worldwide are looking for a vaccine against the coronavirus *
• Development may take a while - tests are already underway, including medication for Covid-19 *
• Will it be in Germany a vaccination give?

Update from Tuesday, May 19th, 2020, 4 p.m .:

Moncef Slaoui, the former pharma manager who has been named U.S. President Donald Trump to lead a federal coronavirus vaccine development project, owns more than $ 10 million stock options in one company, the federal funding for development received such a vaccine.

Trump announced last week that Moncef Slaoui, former head of vaccine development at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, will be named chief scientist for Operation Warp Speed.

Slaoui resigned from his position as director of Moderna, a Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company. Slaoui is said to still hold more than 150,000 $ 10 million stock options in Moderna. 

Moderna's share price skyrocketed last month after it announced that it had received $ 483 million in federal funds for its vaccine development.

Corona vaccine: clinical trials planned from September

Update from Monday, May 18,  2020 , 5:02 p.m .: A corona vaccine is to be tested in Germany in September 2020 . According to the University of Marburg, a potential vaccine against the coronavirus will then be tested in human clinical trials . "The blueprint for the vaccine is ready. Now the vaccine for the clinical tests still has to be produced, ”said Stephan Becker, coordinator of the“ Emerging Infectious Diseases ”area at the German Center for Infection Research.

The production of the vaccine against the coronavirus is expected to be completed in three months. No vaccine will be available in 2020. Because the development of a vaccine is "a lengthy, arduous process", emphasizes virologist Becker.

Corona vaccine: Fauci reluctant - Trump presents new initiative

Update from Friday, May 15th, 2020, 6:32 pm: Donald Trump wants to announce this Friday that he should lead the "Operation Warp Speed" . That reports the US news channel CNN. Operation Warp Speed ​​is designed to accelerate the development and production of a vaccine against the coronavirus . According to Anthony Fauci, who is also expected at the event, eight promising vaccines are in the test phase. 

Nevertheless, like other experts, he is still cautious. Recently, Fauci said it is unlikely to have a coronavirus vaccine in the fall if students are supposed to go back to school. Donald Trump, on the other hand, was confident that a vaccine would still be available at the end of this year.

America First? Sanofi Announces First to Deliver Corona Vaccine to US - France Outraged

+++ 3.15 p.m .:  After general manager of  pharmaceutical company Sanofi announced on Wednesday (May 13, 2020) that he would first supply the United States with a possible corona vaccine , France is harshly criticized. Sanofi justified his approach by saying that the United States is funding a research project. The US has "the right to the largest pre-orders" because it "has invested to protect its population," said Sanofi director general Paul Hudson of Bloomberg news agency.

There is great outrage in France about the statement that the United States is the first to receive a possible corona vaccine . In recent years, the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has received double-digit millions in research loans from France. The economic and financial state secretary of France , Agnès Pannier-Runacher, complained to Sud Radio: "It would be unacceptable for us if one or the other country had privileged access under a financial pretext."

[#GrandMatinSudRadio] @AgnesRunacher "Ce qu'a déclaré #Sanofi here is abnormal! Il serait inacceptable qu'il y ait un accès privilégié de tel ou tel pays sous un prétexte pécunier! @SanofiFR a fait un correctif, le #vaccin accessible partout "

▶ ️https: //t.co/oD9NcRQqJh pic.twitter.com/0UteoPCVpT

On Thursday (May 14th, 2020), the President of Sanofi France, Olivier Bogillot, announced that it was theoretically the "goal that the US, France and Europe would receive the vaccine at the same time". He directly confirmed the statements of Director-General Hudson did not, but instead stressed that the US had agreed to spend "several hundred million euros." The EU must be just as efficient and help us to make this vaccine available very quickly. "Negotiations with European authorities and countries as Germany and France already exist, said the president of Sanofi France .

WHO criticizes skepticism about vaccination: Coronavirus may never disappear again

Update from May 14, 2020, 6 a.m .:  The emergency aid coordinator of the World Health Organization (WHO) is skeptical that the new coronavirus can still be eliminated after the rapid spread around the world. "This virus can become at home in the population, it may never disappear, " said Michael Ryan in Geneva. 

Even HIV , the virus that causes the immune deficiency disease AIDS causes was never gone. In the case of HIV, the world has managed to create medicines and preventive measures so that the virus has lost its horror. "I don't want to compare the diseases, but we have to be realistic," said Ryan. 

There is a small chance of eradicating the new Sars-CoV-2 virus , which can trigger the dangerous lung disease Covid-19 . To do this, a highly effective vaccine had to be found , it had to be manufactured in sufficient quantities and distributed all over the world, and people had to agree to be vaccinated. 

"This virus may never go away," Dr. Michael Ryan # COVID19 https://t.co/VpWCVuIr3C

"Each of these steps is challenging," said Ryan. He criticized the widespread skepticism about vaccinations and the lack of funds for good health systems in many parts of the world. "We have very effective vaccines on this planet that we have not used effectively," he said, referring to measles . The number of cases of measles has been increasing again in recent years. 

With the right measures to detect infected people, isolate those who may be infected and treat them effectively, the virus can be brought under control, emphasized WHO expert Maria van Kerkhove. Vaccines and medicines are being worked on at high pressure.

Coronavirus vaccine: Government in Germany is spending a lot of money

Update from May 11th, 2020, 2:40 pm:  The federal government is providing up to 750 million euros for the development and production of a corona vaccine . This was "a special program so far unique," said Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek (CDU) on Monday in Berlin. The program complements Germany's international efforts in vaccine development .

As Karliczek said, the program is based on two pillars. The first pillar is the development, the second the production of the vaccine. When developing with the help of the special program, studies with a larger number of subjects should be made possible than is otherwise the case. This promises faster progress.

Vaccination against Corona: "Effective vaccine is the key to return to normal"

In this way, medical staff or people from risk groups, such as the elderly or people with cancer, could be involved at an early stage. Participation in studies is based solely on voluntary work.

Special vaccine development and production program https://t.co/XQMDaHMfxH

The second pillar of the program should already prepare that large quantities can be produced as soon as a vaccine is found. This involves, for example, the procurement of ingredients or contracts with service providers who then fill the vaccine.

"An effective vaccine is the key to returning to normal," said Karliczek. "Nevertheless, we cannot expect miracles," she warned at the same time. People would also have to be prepared for setbacks. "At the earliest in mid-2021" vaccines would be available that could be used on a large scale.

Corona virus vaccine: is vaccination compulsory in Germany?

Update from 07.05.2020, 9.15 a.m .: Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) does not believe that vaccination is mandatory as soon as there is an antidote to the corona virus . “Vaccination is generally a very, very sensible thing. If there is a vaccine - I will get vaccinated. I would also recommend it, ”he said on Thursday to the ZDF“ Morgenmagazin ”. In his view, voluntariness would have “priority”. Vaccination is particularly useful for risk groups and nursing staff.

When it comes to easing the corona restrictions , Söder pleads for prudence instead of hectic pace. The extensive easing decided on Wednesday in the Bund-Länder-switch was "a piece of responsibility returned to the individual". The federal and state governments decided on Wednesday to extend the contact restrictions to June 5. However, members of two households may meet in the future.

Coronavirus vaccine is urgently needed

First message from May 6th, 2020: Frankfurt - Sars-CoV-2 keeps the world in suspense. The corona virus continues to spread across the planet and claims human lives every day. A Corona vaccine could end the drama. But the feverish search for the miracle cure is difficult. 

The first clinical tests for a vaccine against the coronavirus have been allowed in Germany since April 22 . The Mainz-based company Biontech has developed a vaccine candidate. But research is not only in Germany. Companies around the world are looking for the means that could stop the corona pandemic .

Never before has so much money been invested in the development of a remedy after the appearance of a pathogen. According to the WHO, over 80 companies worldwide are involved in the development of a potential vaccine against the coronavirus. And almost every day there are more.

But what if you can actually find a remedy? Will there be a vaccination requirement? Or even a forced vaccination?

Coronavirus: compulsory vaccination in Germany - is there such a thing?

The legal basis for the obligation to vaccinate has been Paragraph 20, Paragraphs 6 and 7 of the Infection Protection Act since 2001, which provides for the introduction of the obligation to vaccinate via a simple legal regulation:

• "(6) The Federal Ministry of Health is authorized, by ordinance with the consent of the Federal Council, to order that threatened sections of the population must take part in vaccinations or other measures for specific prophylaxis if a communicable disease with clinically difficult forms occurs and with its epidemic spread to calculate. The fundamental right to physical integrity (Article 2 (2) sentence 1 of the Basic Law) can be restricted to this extent. […] "
  
  
• "(7) As long as the Federal Ministry of Health does not make use of the authorization pursuant to paragraph 6, the state governments are authorized to issue an ordinance pursuant to paragraph 6. The state governments can transfer the authorization to the highest state health authorities by ordinance. "

"There was actually a general obligation to vaccinate in a smallpox vaccination law from 1874," explains Dr. jur. Albrecht Wienke, President of the German Society for Medical Law, the Deutsches Ärzteblatt. "This obligation to vaccinate in the Reich Vaccination Act was later regarded as constitutional by the Federal Administrative Court and the Federal Court of Justice." A general obligation to vaccinate can therefore also be regarded as constitutional today due to a specific cause and a specific risk to the population.

Is the compulsory vaccination coming in the Corona crisis?

The grand coalition has so far rejected speculation that the coronavirus should be vaccinated . "Once and for all: Corona vaccination was never in the bill at any time," said SPD faction vice Bärbel Bas on Tuesday (5.5.2020). "It would also be absurd to decide to have a vaccination in the Bundestag, where there is no vaccine at all." 

The world is looking for a vaccine against the coronavirus.

© Friso Gentsch / dpa

Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had also spoken out against compulsory vaccination. 

A vaccine against the corona virus: when is it?

Vaccinations are superior to therapy in many ways. Unlike therapy, they also prevent the spread of a virus. But developing such protection takes time - also in testing and production. 

Who can find the Corona vaccine? https://t.co/hv2hBzJRGB #Coronavirus #Vaccination

According to experts, the earliest possible and widespread use of vaccination could begin in 2021 - but not yet as an approved vaccine, but within the scope of large-scale studies. Several thousand to ten thousand subjects are vaccinated - even those who belong to the risk group. An earlier test phase is theoretically possible, but requires special permits.

Such a large-scale test phase usually lasts a whole year. But that is not fixed.

Approval before 2022 is therefore not impossible, but seems unrealistic at the moment. However, in the past, pandemics have never seen vaccine candidates developed and developed as quickly as they are today.

* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / RICHARD MORAN PHOTOGRAPY LTD 15 / GlaxoSmithKline GmbH & Co. KG / obs