The first coronavirus immunization centers could be in use by next month, German Health Minister Jens Spahn has revealed, assuming European authorities approved a first vaccine. Chancellor Merkel and EU Commission chief von der Leyen are hoping for a quick approval of a corona vaccine. The German company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer announced on Wednesday that the effectiveness of their vaccine was 95 percent - and thus even higher than previously known.

Biontech and the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer have applied for emergency approval for their corona vaccine from the US FDA. Both companies announced this in a joint statement. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also responsible for approving vaccines.

The renowned US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci called the vaccine candidates from Pfizer-Biontech and Moderna “solid”. The rapid pace at which the vaccines were developed did not affect the security of the vaccine or its “scientific integrity”, Fauci said at a briefing in the White House. It was an expression of “extraordinary scientific progress” that the vaccine was produced so quickly. The data submitted by the companies had been checked by an independent panel of experts and found to be free of errors.

More Information