COVID-19 Vaccine Unlikely Before Mid-2021: Germany

German Research Minister Anja Karliczek

New Delhi: Anja Karliczek, German Research Minister, said it’s unlikely that the world will get a vaccine for the COVID-19 for public use before mid-2021.

At a press conference in Berlin, Karliczek said three German biotech companies — CureVac, BioNTech and IDT Biologika — are being provided funds by the government to speed up the companies’ vaccine candidates. “We should not expect a miracle,” she said.

“We must continue to assume that vaccines for the broader population will only be available from the middle of next year at the earliest,” the research minister added.

Karliczek appealed to people to continue observing rules and regulations designed to contain the spread of the virus. Germany till date has reported more than 205,000 infections and over 9,000 deaths. The country’s health agency, however, has warned all about the recent spike in number of COVID-19 cases.