What will the next Corona winter look like?
The Biontech founders Özlem Türeci and Ugur Şahin expect a "pandemic of the unvaccinated".
Mainz / Hamburg - According to the two Biontech founders Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin, our company only has "60 days left" to avoid a harsh Corona winter. The two scientists expect further waves, but also that Covid will lose its horror in spring. “In spring, the majority of people will either be vaccinated or have had an infection,” Şahin predicted in an interview with
Der Spiegel
on Friday.
The coronavirus will continue to develop escape mechanisms, but "the illnesses in those who have been vaccinated and recovered will then no longer be severe," the doctor explained to the magazine during a joint conversation with his wife and colleague Özlem Türeci.
The virus also spreads almost only among those who have not been vaccinated.
"We will have to deal with a pandemic of the unvaccinated in the coming months."
"60 days to avoid a harsh winter." Biontech founder Ugur Sahin on Corona
Şahin and Türeci reject a general vaccination requirement.
Almost 70 percent of Germans are already vaccinated against Covid-19.
Now answers and ideas should be worked on to convince the rest of the Federal Republic as well.
The team explains vaccine breakthroughs, among other things, with a slowly declining vaccine effect.
The antibodies decrease about six months after a corona vaccination.
In addition, there is the special behavior of the virus mutations.
Delta is characterized by the fact that many virus particles are produced more quickly and therefore a higher antibody level is required than with the wild type.
“With this combination, we are seeing breakthroughs in vaccination there, especially among those who were vaccinated in January,” explains Uğur Şahin.
Booster vaccination against vaccine breakthroughs: effectiveness could reach up to 95 percent
In order to avoid such breakthroughs in vaccination, Şahin and Türeci consider a third vaccination, a so-called “booster vaccination”, to be necessary.
In an
interview with
Spiegel
, Şahin explains that he expects a lot of study data to come in the next few weeks that provide statistically valid evidence of how important boosting is.
"The Israeli Ministry of Health has published the first data that show that after a third Biontech vaccination, protection against infection with Delta is over 95 percent."
When it comes to new Corona mutants, Türeci advises to remain vigilant: "It would be dangerous to run hectic operations in a mental calm." (Vs)
