Health sciences

Biontech says it expects to have more data within two weeks to help determine whether the coronavirus vaccine, which it co-developed with Pfizer, needs to be reworked because of a new version of the coronavirus discovered in South Africa.

Pfizer and Biontech have said they expect to be able to deliver a possible new vaccine made for the new version in about 100 days, if necessary.

Ljubljana – Coronavirus keeps retreating in Slovenia with Thursday’s 2,364 new cases pushing the 14-day incidence below 2,000. However, official data also show the number of ICU rising to a new high as the disease claimed 17 more lives.

Updated data from the experimental pill for the treatment of COVID-19 by the American company Merck & Co show that its effectiveness is significantly lower than the original report. According to preliminary data from October, "molnupiravir" reduces the risk of death and hospitalization by 50%.

The Commission for Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EDA) has recommended that the use of the Comirnaty vaccine by Biontech / Pfizer against COVID-19 be given to children aged 5 to 11 years.

The vaccine is already used on children that are 12 years old.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found a gradual increase in the risk of COVID-19 on the 19th day after taking a second dose of the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine against the new coronavirus, Medical Express reported.

He said that any new measures would only concern the unvaccinated

In the spring at the latest, everyone living in Germany will be immune to the disease. They will either be vaccinated, recovered, or dead. This was stated today at a press conference by the Minister of Health Jens Spahn.

On Friday, the EU medicines supervisor said countries could use Merck's covid pill in emergencies caused by the growing number of cases before treatment is officially approved across the bloc.

With Greek hospitals in various regions at the breaking point, Alternate Health Minister Mina Gaga has again issued an urgent plea for people to get the COVID-19 jab - both for the first time and the third, booster shot - and underlined that the pandemic now hits mainly unvaccinated people.

Turkey's health minister has called for a common and coordinated action in order to accelerate vaccinations against COVID-19.

"We are expecting support from the healthcare community to help overcome vaccine hesitancy and from all media outlets to reach out to the public and get messages regarding the vaccination across," Fahrettin Koca said.