As many as 31,500 health workers have been vaccinated and vaccinations for workers and residents have also begun in nursing homes, the national chief medical officer told Thursday’s online press conference of the operative board responsible for coronavirus epidemic control.
Chief National Officer Cecília Müller said on the question of vaccine development in Hungary, that the University of Debrecen is developing a vaccine against coronavirus together with NNK. The principle of this is to use a virus similar to the flu vaccine. Currently, inactivation and disposal of the live virus is taking place, which is a complicated process, she explained.
Cecília Müller is optimistic, but at the same time unwilling to make predictions about the Hungarian vaccine. However, according to her
this vaccine will be available in half a year.
When asked if the use of masks ordered in public places is still justified, she said, absolutely. “The epidemic is still with us,” so mask use and other hygiene rules are also important in the fight against the virus, she said.
As she said, we are not far from the end of the epidemic, 3068 new infections were registered last day and 127 patients died. There are 144,977 active infections in Hungary, and the number of people recovering is increasing. She indicated that for technical reasons, the number of recovered patients was not transferred on Thursday, but this will be replaced during the day.
The hospital carries 5,387 people for the complications of the virus, 367 of them in need of ventilation.
Cecília Müller said the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had approved the use of a vaccine developed by the American company Moderna against the coronavirus. The member states of the European Union have concluded 80-80 million doses of this vaccine, and 1,744 thousand doses will be delivered to Hungary, which is enough to vaccinate 872 thousand people, she explained.
This product also expands the supply of vaccines and may make vaccination more dynamic, she said.
She wrote a circular to each vaccination point
The specialist reiterated that GP clinics are suitable for mass administration of vaccines, as all conditions are met; they can cool the vaccine and are also prepared for emergency care.
She also confirmed that the available vaccine will be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions for use. Hungary does not want to deviate from this, she emphasized, adding that the manufacturer guarantees the right effect if the product is used according to the conditions of use.
Regarding dosing, she said that all countries receive the vaccine in the same formulation: one ampoule contains enough vaccine for five people.
She added that she had written a circular to each vaccination point that no unused dose of vaccine should be left by the end of the day. The reservation system also serves to ensure that the vaccine is not wasted, so the date call system can be used to calculate vaccine use.
Cecília Müller also spoke about the question of whether anyone who asks can still be vaccinated against the flu. Of the 1,357,000 doses of the three-component vaccine for adults, two hundred thousand are still available, 103,495 doses of the four-component vaccine have been distributed to GPs, and a further 54,000 doses are available. In addition, another production batch will be available from the flu vaccine, so anyone who wants to get such a vaccine can still get it, she highlighted.
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