Bioentech-Pfizer vaccine will be effective against new type of coronavirus infections, said Ugur Shaheen, lead researcher and proprietor of BioNtech. But he thinks more research is needed to be fully convinced.
He made the remarks in an interview with a local German television station on Tuesday (December 22).
The new strain of coronavirus was recently discovered in south-east England and has spread throughout the UK. This has spread worldwide concern. Although no indication of serious illness was found.
"Our vaccine is scientifically capable of dealing with new type of corona infections," Ugur Shaheen told a news conference the day after the European Union approved the use of the BioNtech-Pfizer vaccine.
He said the previous type of corona and the new type (stain) were 99 percent identical, so BioNtech had "scientific confidence" that the vaccine would work. But he thinks more research is needed to be fully convinced.
We have already tested the viability of our vaccine against 20 other mutated viruses. The vaccine has always neutralized other mutated viruses during research and testing, he said.
BioNtech's lead researcher and proprietor said the virus may have changed a bit more now. So the experimental study may take another two weeks to be surer.
The BioNtech-Pfizer vaccine has been approved for use in more than 45 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and the EU. Thousands of people have already received the vaccine.