Anatoly Altstein, a Russian virologist, doctor of medical sciences and professor at the Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, has revealed important facts about the importance and effectiveness of vaccines against coronavirus.
Gadin.Net quotes a professor's interview with reference to publika.az. - Scientists note that everyone infected with the coronavirus loses antibodies against the virus over time. Does this mean that it is not possible to create an effective vaccine against COVID-19?
- It is possible to create an effective vaccine. But it is too early to talk about an effective vaccine against coronavirus. It will be possible to give an accurate opinion after the vaccination tests have passed all the stages and obtained a reliable result. I would like to add that there is great confidence that the vaccines against COVID-19 produced in Russia will be effective. The vaccines developed at our Research Center named after Gamaleya have already been tested on humans. There are no obvious side effects that make the use of the vaccine unacceptable, and the volunteers developed antibodies. However, the extent to which these antibodies protect humans will only be determined in later stages of testing. The vaccine will be widely used in September and will then be administered to thousands of people. And only then will it be clear how effective the vaccine is.
- You probably know about the H1N1 vaccine, known in 2009 as swine flu. The vaccine was developed and received by the German government, and it is estimated that up to 50 million people will be vaccinated. The North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Health estimates that about one million people have been vaccinated against swine flu. However, of the 7.4 million doses purchased by the government, 6.4 million remained unused. As a result, the total cost of the unwanted vaccine in all federal states of Germany amounted to 27.6 million euros.
Can the same scenario be repeated in Russia? - In Russia, the prejudice of the population can play a big role. But I'm sure there will be a lot of sensitive people who want to be vaccinated - especially if the vaccines are free. The vaccine has no side effects for humans, I repeat, there is great hope that it will be effective. - Is the World Health Organization right in its view that it is possible to stop the pandemic with vaccines or drugs? can also. The coronavirus has already made this joke twice to humanity. In 2002-2003, the SARS epidemic spread in Vietnam and China, was very severe, several thousand people were infected with the virus, but the mortality rate was about 10%. Although scientists have developed vaccines against SARS, they have not been needed because the virus has changed and virtually disappeared. Another story took place in the Middle East in 2012, when a similar epidemic began - the causative agent was very similar to today. There were only 2-3 thousand infections, but almost 30% of those infected died. A vaccine against this coronavirus was also developed, but was not used. The virus seemed to have melted - its strains were secreted, but they were not the same in terms of mortality. Therefore, we hope that the existing coronavirus will change and the number of deaths will decrease. In some countries, the mortality rate is already 1-2%. I want to believe that from now on only the weakest form of the virus will spread, and epidemics will be the result of them. The evolutionary path shows that the virus is multiplying over time and causing less pathology. It is "more profitable" for a virus to multiply but have a lower risk of death. When a person is infected with a severe form of the virus and dies, a large number of viral substances disappear, and the spread of the virus is weakened. However, in mild forms, the virus spreads well - so evolution goes in this direction.
- Is there a second wave of COVID-19 in Israel? - No, this is a continuation of the first wave. In Israel, the infection really increased, then almost weakened. It seems like a second wave, but we must not forget one thing. After the softening in Israel, many people became infected, and as quarantine measures weakened, the number of infections increased again. However, the death rate in Israel is lower than in Western European countries and some American states.
- If the coronavirus vaccine is ready, is there a need for mass vaccination? - I think mass vaccination is needed. The virus is highly contagious, and it seems that it has no intention of "giving up" on us. Both this year and in 2021, and perhaps in 2022, we will live under its pressure and influence. Therefore, mass vaccination would be highly desirable. However, this is difficult to do - a large number of vaccines are required. If the Ministry of Health confirms the results of the study, the vaccines will be available in Russia in August. Of course, it will take a long time from the beginning of the vaccine to its widespread use: it is not easy to produce a large number of vaccines. I think that Russian scientists will not be able to get the vaccine until the winter.
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