Germany: Health Minister optimistic of having COVID-19 vaccine in coming months

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said that he expects a registered COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months and "definitely next year" as the global vaccine race intensifies after Russian announcement. Spahn’s forecast regarding the vaccine echoed with a now-withdrawn report by Robert Koch Institute which predicted a vaccine by autumn.

"I'm optimistic that in the next months, and certainly in the next year, there can be a vaccine," the minister told German public-service television broadcaster ZDF.

However, Spahn declined to announce a specific month, saying there are several factors that need to be analysed before making such a prediction. The German minister said that there is it yet to be determined the frequency of doses people would need to remain safe from the infectious disease or how long the immunity conferred by the vaccine would last.

"But one thing we can say is that thanks to us all working together - researchers, scientists, the public - we will probably have a vaccine faster than ever before in the history of humanity," he added.

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Russia's vaccine

Russian  President Vladimir Putin announced on August 11 that the health ministry has approved the world’s first coronavirus vaccine, becoming the first country to grant regulatory approval after less than two months of human testing. Spahn was sceptical about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, saying it didn’t through large-scale trials to provide sufficient data.

The United States has also been sceptical over the Russian vaccine as US Health Secretary Alex Azar told a news conference that it is more essential to have a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine than acing the race. However, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has dismissed the safety concerns and said it will be available within two weeks for some medics. 

On August 12, Murashko said that foreign colleagues are sensing the specific competitive advantages of the Russian drug and are trying to express “completely groundless” doubts. The minister added that the first doses of coronavirus vaccine will be provided within the next two weeks, primarily for doctors.

Read: Russia Names ‘world’s First’ COVID-19 Vaccine After First Earth Satellite ‘Sputnik’

Read: Russia Dismisses COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Concerns, Medics To Get Doses In Two Weeks