WHO Gives Sinopharm Vaccine International Emergency Licensing
The World Health Organization (WHO) has given the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine international emergency authorization, announced from its Geneva headquarters. The Hungarian government has reacted to the declaration, stating that it “disproves the left-wing opposition’s” arguments against the vaccine.”
With support from an internationally recognized body of the world’s leading scientist, the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine’s credibility has sky-rocketed, and it can now be rolled out globally.
Professors, virologists, and virus researchers around Hungary continue to emphasize it; all vaccines authorized in Hungary are effective. Chief infectologist of the South Pest Hospital Centre, virologist János Szlávik sat down with Hungary Today at the beginning of the year to discuss vaccination and the race against the coronavirus. Chief Infectologist: Herd Immunity Needed Szlávik […]Continue reading
Katalin Karikó, the Hungarian biochemist who was fundamental in the creation of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine, is currently in Hungary until May 27. While her schedule and work responsibilities have kept her very busy, since she has arrived she has spoken at the Hungarian Academy of Science (MTA), given interviews to Hungarian media, and met with the rector of Semmelweis University, Béla Merkely.
At her speech for the 194th conference of the Hungarian Academy of Science (MTA), Katalin Karikó spoke about her career path, which started at the University of Szeged, and gave details on the scientific know-how of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology. It was Karikó’s decades of hard work which led to this technology becoming the foundation for Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine.
Béla Merkely supported the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, arguing that, like Hungary's other vaccines, it provides effective protection against the coronavirus.
More opportunities for Pfizer/BioNTech vaccinations can soon be made available once more of the vaccine arrives to Hungary, according to Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás. The minister addressed Friday’s single-day Pfizer vaccination opportunity, saying that it made it clear that people are willing to vaccinate themselves if their preferred vaccine type is available. The availability of different vaccines appears to have an impact on people’s vaccination willingness, since Hungary’s inoculation rate has noticeably slowed down since Friday’s Pfizer wave.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced last Friday morning that registration and vaccination for Pfizer/BioNTech would be available for that day alone, after which the vaccine would be set aside for 16-18-year-olds. He later added graduating teachers to this exclusion.
Hungary to Initiate Large-Scale Efficacy Study of Vaccines
Word has spread about a 12-month study being planned to test the efficacy of all vaccines currently authorized in Hungary. Despite the magnitude of the nation-wide experiment, the government has been relatively silent regarding its details.
The Pécs University Clinical Center shared a publication inviting people to take part in a voluntary 12-month antibody-study of the Sinopharm vaccine.
A 12-Month Volunteer Study of Antibodies
The document shared by the university states that
It is important to have an ever-broadening understanding of vaccines, both regarding their side effects and their impact on the immune system. Therefore, with agreement to the following tests, we are asking for help in creating a more detailed understanding of such immunological effects that vaccines have on us.”