COVID-19 vaccine

Vaccine-sceptic Brazilian president to visit PM Orbán!

Jair Bolsonaro

A Hungarian news portal wrote that authorities prepare for the official visit of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The openly coronavirus-sceptic leader of the 12th largest economy of the world will come to Budapest after his visit to Moscow. However, it seems that he will not go to Warsaw. The Polish president thinks that Bolsonaro is far too radical, and his ties to the Russian president is too strong.

According to azonnali.hu, it seems that PM Viktor Orbán will triumph in international diplomacy before the 2022 parliamentary elections. Today he talked with Donald Trump. He is scheduled to meet up with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month. In March, Boris Johnson will receive him along with the leaders of the Visegrád 4 cooperation if the British PM does not resign until then. 

In 2018, PM Viktor Orbán was among the few European leaders who attended the inauguration of Bolsonaro in Brazil. In the last couple of years, the Brazilian-Hungarian relationship strengthened. For example,

Hungary bought two military KC-390 transport aircrafts from a Brazilian aerospace manufacturer.

That is considered a visible arms deal even in the international market. Furthermore, they can be a good reference in NATO, so Brazil has hope for further orders from the North-Atlantic organisation.

orbán and trump
PM Orbán and President Trump meeting in the White House in 2019 May. Photo: www.facebook.com/Orbán Viktor

Thus, it is not surprising that the Brazilian president thought he would help PM Orbán before the elections and pay an official visit to Budapest. Bolsonaro is considered one of the leaders of the right-populist ideology. Meanwhile, PM Orbán’s goal is to establish international cooperation with world leaders who share similar views with him. Bolsonaro strongly supports the abolishment of the barriers in international trade. He also considers economic factors more important than environmental ones. Furthermore, he thinks that promoting traditional family values is vital. 

However, PM Orbán and President Bolsonar think the opposite about the vaccination issue. The Hungarian government promotes the jab as the only way to defeat the virus. Meanwhile, the Brazilian president did not accept the vaccine. Furthermore, he shared some virus-sceptic videos and posts on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, which the social media companies deleted. They said that he spread fake information about the virus.

Once, he even said that COVID-19 vaccines raise the chance of contracting AIDS. 

Some sources told Azonnali that the Polish President, Andrzej Duda, thinks Bolsonaro is too radical. Moreover, the Polish government cannot support Bolsonaro’s Russian friendship. As a result, the Brazilian president will probably not be invited to Warsaw. Even so, Bolsonaro’s calendar contains a trip to Moscow, Budapest and Warsaw so far.

 

George Clooney
Read alsoGeorge Clooney associates hatred and anger with PM Viktor Orbán

Hungarian tourists were forced to quarantine in Thailand

thailand

Hungarian tourists were forced to quarantine in Thailand. A Hungarian couple has been currently waiting in two separate hospitel rooms to get rid of the COVID-19 infection. The unfortunate pair shared their experiences. According to them, they already faced issues during air travel, in addition to the confusion in terms of the healthcare facility and the accommodation expenses.

Hungarian tourist ends up in a quarantine in Thailand

Earlier, a Hungarian woman had to quarantine after catching the coronavirus infection in Thailand during her vacation. After the incident, a Hungarian couple also reported to index.hu, that they were compelled to do the same. Rebeka and her partner travelled to Thailand for a long-planned vacation. 

The couple got the infection in Thailand.

Although the Hungarian tourists entered the exotic country with a negative COVID-19 test, they had to spend the first night in quarantine upon their arrival. The tests and the quarantine stay have to be paid for by the visitor.

The Hungarian tourists already had a bad gut feeling on the plane. “Unfortunately, there was another passenger on the plane who did not wear the mask the correct way. I do not know why it is so hard for some to cover their noses,” writes Rebeka in her report.

Nobody knows who will pay the bills

The couple received the result of the second test while they were sitting in a taxi. It was then that they learned that both of them had contracted the virus. The taxi driver was scared at first, but she was kind and helpful all along the drive. After the positive test, the couple headed to a hospitel.

The hospitel is a government-approved facility where people can talk to doctors and receive health care in Thailand. 

The hospitel is a 15-square-metre room with a balcony. The staff is kind and helpful. Patients can order food, but by the time it arrives, it is often already cold. They have to measure their fever and monitor their pulse oxygen levels twice a day. The results are sent to the medical staff through an application. In principle, this costs HUF 180,000 thousand (EUR 505) a day.

Nobody knows who will pay the bills.

The Hungarian couple is trying to talk to an insurance company and local hospitals. Hopefully, the insurance company will cover all the expenses. However, this is far from certain. Hospitality, food and travel expenses will amount to at least HUF 1 million (EUR 2800) per person.

Portfolio.hu previously reported that the Thai Ministry of Health advertises the importance of vaccination due to a large number of infections. Three months after the third vaccination, residents can already request the fourth jab.

New Israeli vaccine being tested in Hungary

Coronavirus vaccination

Israel is developing a new vaccine, and Hungary is the first European country to join the program and test the new Israeli vaccine.

The development of the new vaccine and the test phase

Israel has been developing its own COVID-19 vaccine. Research and development have been going on for a year and a half, says egészségkalauz.hu. Phase 2b / 3 of the Israeli vaccine called BriLife is currently being tested. Hungary is the first in Europe to test the vaccine.

The developers of Israel’s own vaccine are the pharmaceutical company NRx in collaboration with the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR).

How the vaccine works

The vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which is a virus that infects animals such as cattle, horses and pigs, serves as the cure. This virus is genetically modified so that SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spike proteins can grow on its surface, explains atv.hu. The genetically modified vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) is then administered to the human body in a living form. The virus, although not a coronavirus, contains spikes on its surface due to genetic engineering modifications.

Vaccinated individuals will receive the vesicular stomatitis virus, dressed in the crown protein garment of the coronavirus, as an injection into the muscle. Coronavirus spike proteins will be the ones that stimulate the immune system, triggering an immune response.

The portal notes that the introduction of genetically modified viruses is relatively new. The EMA, the European Medicines Agency, has already authorised an Ebola vaccine in 2019 based on the fact that its actual carrier is an attenuated and modified vesicular stomatitis virus.

The results

In Israel, 2/3 of the first clinical phase of the BriLife vaccine was completed on 16 November last year, involving 240 people. Experience has shown that antibody levels are high and do not lag behind mRNA vaccines.

Hungary is the first European country to participate in testing the efficacy and safety of the vaccine through phase 2b / 3 clinical trials.

Vaccines currently used in Hungary

Pfizer–BioNTech
Moderna
Sputnik V
AstraZeneca
Sinopharm

Out of those 5 vaccines, Sputnik V and Sinopharm are not recognised by the EU. Hungary has concluded a special agreement with the producer countries (Russia & China).

HBO series to come about Hungarian biochemist Katalin Karikó and the vaccine

karikó

HBO is going to create a series about the history of the existing coronavirus vaccines’ development, says Telex.hu. The series will be presented to the audience under the name The First Shots.

The Hungarian biochemist, Katalin Karikó, who played a pioneering role in the development of the mRNA technology that underpins both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna vaccines, will also appear in the series.

According to SZTE (Szegedi Tudományegyetem – University of Szeged), the series is expected to “present the scientific and business competition for vaccines as a collaboration between scientist women and decision-maker men, based on Brendan Borell’s book of the same title (The First Shots).

Next to Katalin Karikó, the HBO series will feature U.S. immunologist Kizzmekia Corbett, vaccinologist Sarah Gilbert, and chief virologist Anthony Fauci, as well as Albert Bourla and Stéphane Bancel, the CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna.

Karikó was chosen as one of the heroes of 2021 by Forbes


In the article created by Time, Karikó is the first in a series of researchers. The article writes about her history and work and makes sure to acknowledge her fast, precise work and the fact that she has revolutionised the medical industry with the mRNA technology.

Read more: Katalin Karikó’s team is chosen as Hero of the Year by TIME

Karikó won almost everything

Other than the Nobel Prize, Katalin Karikó received pretty much all other major awards she could.

Shared with her fellow researcher, Drew Weissmann, she was awarded the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Medal in the Life Sciences category.

The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia has been honouring Benjamin Franklin’s legacy since 1824 by awarding outstanding achievement in science and engineering. As the oldest comprehensive science and technology award in the United States, the institute has recognised more than two thousand pioneering scientists, engineers, and inventors from around the world, including Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

Read also: Hungarian-born biochemist Katalin Karikó awarded the prestigious Bolyai Prize

Hungarian GPs could face €13k fine for refusing to administer vaccines

Coronavirus Koronavírus Vakcina Vaccine General Practitioner Családi Orvos 2

A new decree states that family physicians have to spend at least one weekend administering vaccines on top of their usual working hours.

A new decree will be in effect in Hungary starting January 2022. The decree states that family physicians have to spend at least one weekend administering vaccines on top of their usual working hours. – writes hvg.hu. The official announcement was published on 27 December.

According to the document, family doctors can choose from three options. The first one is to work on at least one weekend between 1 January and 31 January 2022. Their second option is to work on a Friday or a Saturday in consultation with the county vaccination committee. The third option is to administer vaccines, working from 2 pm to 6 pm on Fridays and from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturdays.

If a doctor refuses to participate in the “volunteering” program, they could be fined for a sum of 30,000 (EUR 81)  to 5 million forints (EUR 13,536).

Index writes that doctors also have the responsibility to inform their patients of the opportunity to take the vaccine. At the beginning of 2021, Zoltán Soós head of the general medical group of the Hungarian Medical Chamber said that about a quarter of family doctors would not like to administer vaccines, or cannot administer vaccines in the course of the vaccination program.

Coronavirus Hungary
Read also Fourth wave downhill in Hungary!

Doctors are obligated to call back their patients on the phone as soon as they can. Miklós Kásler, head of ministry of Ministry of Human Resources also ordered that doctors do covid tests for every patient suspected to have the virus. The test can be done at the consulting room, at the patient’s place of residence or any other suitable place based on what they agree on. – writes hvg.hu.

Infostart writes that the national collegial professional leader of general practitioners, Szabolcs Békássy, said that imposing fines is not the right way to encourage doctors to vaccinate more people. He said that general practitioners had a part in vaccinating people before the new decree came out. 24.hu writes that “in the fall, more than 47 percent of booster doses were administered at GP practices” during working hours.

According to data on koronavirus.gov.hu, there were 6,252,653 vaccinated people as of 28 December. There were 22,465 people infected with the virus in Budapest and 94,313 in rural Hungary. 180,980 people were considered healed from the virus in Budapest and 910,037 in rural areas. 15,775 people were quarantined in their homes. The data showed that 6,587 people died in Budapest and 32,307 passed away in rural Hungary. The information indicates that 9,119,505 samples were taken.

Worldwide 281,992,357 people had the virus. 5,411,147 died and 9,021,723,426 vaccines were administered.

Hungary coronavirus video
Read alsoHungarian Covid ward: it is a stressful job, vaccinate yourself! – VIDEO

Hungarian Covid ward: it is a stressful job, vaccinate yourself! – VIDEO

Hungary coronavirus video

The government shared a video that included a message from employees working at a Hungarian Covid ward. In the approximately 1.5-minute video, employees complain that working with coronavirus patients is stressful. They ask everyone to fight against the epidemic by taking the jab.

Christmas message from the Covid ward

The Hungarian government shared a video message from Covid employees on Facebook. In the 1.5-minute video, the hospital staff talks about their hardships of working at the Covid ward.

Working in the intensive care unit where coronavirus patients are being treated is extremely stressful, not only physically but also mentally. 

However, the workers do not give up in spite of all the difficulties and fatigue. Among other things, adrenaline helps them a lot. In the video, one of the hospital employees also mentions that the pandemic is not going to go away on its own . Therefore, everyone has to do something to make the pandemic disappear.

The coronavirus is like a Russian roulette, you cannot know what it will cause.

Erika Kálmán, an ICU nurse, asked everyone to get the vaccine in the Christmas message. According to the latest data, the Omicron variant has been also spreading in Hungary, writes telex.hu. More than 38,000 people died in Hungary because of the coronavirus. Secretary of State István György declared on Sunday that the first coronavirus vaccine had been administered in Hungary exactly a year ago. Additional vaccination campaigns may follow in January.

Read more: How effective are vaccines really in Hungary? — NEW DETAILS!

Covid Doctor of the Year

Richard Rokszin, Covid Doctor of the Year, was also featured earlier in a video on the government’s Facebook page. Many people remember the video footage made in Italy at the beginning of the pandemic. After the shocking series of images, many people wanted to see what was happening in the Hungarian hospitals. However, this was not possible until now.

The argument of the media was that if people saw the actual situation, they would probably take the restrictions more seriously, and thus more people would go for the vaccine, index.hu writes. However, Richard Rokszin does not agree with them.

“It is an intolerable category for the average person,”

Rokszin described his daily struggles. “It’s better not to publish videos that show what’s going on in the Covid wards. It’s an intolerable category for the average person, and it’s often a great mental burden even for professionals. If we did not talk to each other when we left the infected area, we would most certainly develop some serious mental issues, from burnout to depression.”

Read more: COVID-19 deaths continue to rise in Hungary over the Christmas weekend

Did the Hungarian authorities take risks with the Sputnik V vaccine?

sputnik_v_hungary_vaccine_coronavirus

The National Institute of Pharmacy has released the documents approving the Russian vaccine. However, several parts were obscured in the official document. An independent representative, Ákos Hadházy, made the concealed parts visible. These show that even though there had been several problems with the vaccine, it was approved.

Documents disclosed

After a lawsuit, Transparency International obtained the documents about the Hungarian authorisation of the Sputnik V and Sinopharm vaccines. However, the National Institute of Pharmacy and Food Health (OGYÉI) obscured several parts of the documents sent.

Ákos Hadházy, an independent Member of Parliament, posted on his Facebook page about the case.

Hadházy was able to make the hidden parts readable with a simple trick.

All you have to do is copy the data from PDF to a Word file and open it to make everything visible. A number of dubious pieces of information about the Russian vaccine have been revealed in the obscured sections. For example, it includes that

“it was not possible to establish and verify fully good laboratory practice.”

Did the Hungarian authorities take any risks with the authorisation?

It also became apparent from the documents that several important studies on efficacy and safety were missing. In addition, no efficacy was established. Another problem is that the viral content of the ampoules has been set within wide limits. This means that the active ingredient of some ampoules can show differences by up to three times, writes hvg.hu.

“According to the above, the Russian license was a major roulette with the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of Hungarians,”

says Hadházy in his post. Immunologist András Falus also talked about the fact that the official documents are very short. Accordingly, the documentation for the Sputnik vaccine is incomplete. By comparison, AstraZeneca had thousands of pages of documentation, while Sputnik had only a hundred pages.

Neither the OGYÉI nor the Coronavirus Press Centre will answer any questions. In their response, they say all vaccines are effective. They also asked the leftist press to “end their campaign against vaccination and some vaccines.”

How effective are vaccines really in Hungary? – NEW DETAILS!

Koronavírus Coronavirus Vaccine Vakcina Ampulla Ampoule

Out of 56 patients in need of ECMO, 54 are unvaccinated, says Béla Merkely, the cardiologist and rector of Semmelweis University. ECMO is short for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, which means that a machine helps a person’s heart and lungs to work properly.

“According to the latest data, 54 out of the 56 patients who received ECMO treatment at Semmelweis University were unvaccinated. Two patients had two vaccinations but were vaccinated 180 days prior to the coronavirus being diagnosed in them,”

says Béla Merkely, adding that this data is what proves the efficacy and necessity of vaccines the most.

Read also: Chinese ventilators could not be used in Hungary

Merkely is the leader of the Clinical Epidemiology Workgroup, which has been operating since 22 March 2020. The group consists of infectologists, epidemiologists, and heads of clinical centres from four Hungarian medical schools. Merkely spoke about the tasks of the workgroup, its remit, and the data held by the group, according to information published on the website of Semmelweis University.

 

It was also pointed out that the workgroup has meetings at regular intervals depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation. As healthcare providers, the clinical centres of the four medical schools have an obligation to report about the epidemiological situation to the National Public Health Centre (NPHC).

Read also: CORRUPTION – Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates

However, there is more public interest data the workgroup shares at its meetings.

The institutions collect aggregated data and present the resulting information to the participants, reflecting the current situation.

The group is primarily providing practical, clinical experience to help control the epidemic. The four institutions also share their experience and “best practices” in patient care, said Béla Merkely. He added that their recent data supports the need for vaccination, as well as its effectiveness.

Read alsoSecret documents reveal concerns about Sputnik V and Sinopharm vaccines

Selling Fake vaccine certificates is a booming business in Hungary – VIDEO

eu covid passport2

In the case of Hungary, fake vaccine certificates are cheaper than ever.

In August 2021, Euronews wrote that a fake certificate costs 100,000-200,000 forints (EUR 272-544). In July, three women were caught in Budapest selling fake certificates for EUR 164. In November, a 41-year-old nurse and her 47-year-old accomplice helped around 90 people get fake certificates for EUR 134, Daily News Hungary previously wrote.

Now, the price is astonishingly low. While months ago, a fake certificate cost their monthly wage for some people, nowadays, a fake document does not cost more than pocket money.

On December 16, police.hu wrote that proceedings have started against unknown perpetrators. They got involved in bribery and issuing or providing fake covid certificates. Investigators interrogated 24 people as suspects, 2 of whom were detained.

The police accuse two nurses working at a rural hospital of 27 briberies and 27 forged public documents. One of the accused people is a 36-year-old man, another is a 45-year-old woman. The police investigated for months and interrogated another 22 people. One of them is a healthcare worker in a leading position.

read also: Crazy things people do for a fake vaccine certificate

The two nurses sold fake certificates for 20,000 (EUR 54) and 40,000 forints (EUR 108).

They changed the documentation of these people to say that they had taken the vaccine, but did not give them the jab. This activity went on for months. Selling these fake vaccine certificates became a source of regular income for the two nurses. Now, the police asked the Komárom-Esztergom County Prosecutor’s Office to make a motion for their arrest.

The case is not unique, however. News about general practitioners and nurses selling fake documents is nothing new. Rumours about which doctor or nurse gives out fake certificates, where they can be found, and how much money they ask for in return are spreading among people.

read also: Tragic! Many children with Covid-19 are in intensive care

The interesting part of this case is not how common this new “business” has become but the fact that, at first, people had to pay EUR 272-544, but now, it costs only 54-108 euros to get a false document.

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Read alsoHungarian Covid restrictions in detail — Beware of fake immunity certificates

Tragic! Many children with Covid-19 are in intensive care

heim pál hospital children

The pandemic is affecting children more seriously than many people would assume.

Surviving the pandemic seems to be easier for those who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. They can somewhat get back to a sense of normality without the numerous restrictions. Others are looking at the situation from another perspective, thinking not only about their freedom but also about the protection and safety of others. There are people, however, who are anti-vax or simply wait for another vaccine to be available, such as Novavax. But there is one demographic that is not often mentioned in the discussions about the pandemic, a demographic that many people thought were protected against the virus. 

While there is a misinformation that children do not get infected with the virus, the truth is far from it. Many children with Covid-19 were taken to intensive care and put on ventilators. There were 100 children with Covid-19 in intensive care during the third wave of the pandemic. Many of these young patients are under the age of 10. If they survive and recover, they will be protected against the virus for only half a year.

Fifty children with Covid-19 were taken to the Heim Pal Children’s Hospital since January. The chief medical officer of the hospital told RTL that even healthy children can get the virus and badly suffer from the consequences.

Read more: Hungarian discovery: This can triple the chance of survival for COVID-19 patients 

Currently, Pfizer is the only vaccine that can be administered to children. Portfolio writes that 69,000 doses of the vaccine suitable for children aged between 5 and 11 have arrived to Hungary. One hundred cars started delivering the vaccines at 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

The first doses arrived at the Heim Pál Children’s Hospital in Budapest. The hospital functions as a logistic center. They received 600 vaccines, out of which 342 would be taken to Semmelweis University, Dél-pesti Centrumkórház (South Pest Central Hospital), and Szent János Hospital. The vaccines that arrived in Budapest are sufficient for 36,000 children.

Read more: Crazy things people do for a fake vaccine certificate

Crazy things people do for a fake vaccine certificate

coronavirus (2)

People go the extra mile to get a vaccine certificate without taking the jab. Here are the most creative tricks so far.

Some people just simply refuse to take the vaccine while others wait for their preferred jab to become available. And then there are those creative and irresponsible people who go the extra mile to avoid the jab. This group would do whatever it takes to enjoy the best of both worlds with a fake certificate. One thing, however, is important to consider. These people have the false belief that they can get away with a fake plastic card or QR code but it does not even cross their mind that they can get severely ill. Even though a fake plastic card does provide more freedom, it does not offer any protection against the virus.

But what extreme measures have people taken so far to get the fake certificate?

There is a list of examples. A man in New Zealand received 10 doses of the vaccine after he got paid by others to take the jab instead of them. In the Netherlands, a man sold vials containing the alleged coronavirus on the internet. According to the advertisement, customers could receive the viruses and then get a certificate. The price was about EUR 33 and it allegedly contained all the mutations and variants of the virus. In Italy, a dentist walked into the hospital with an artificial arm to get the vaccine. The nurse naturally discovered the trick and the doctor had to face serious consequences. Eventually, he did take the jab and encouraged others to follow his example of getting vaccinated for real. In Germany, a nurse of the Red Cross gave saline injections instead of the vaccine.- writes Magyar Nemzet.

In the case of Hungary, selling fake vaccine certificates has proven to be a booming business.

In August 2021, Euronews wrote that a fake certificate costs 100,000-200,000 forints (EUR 272-544). In July, three women were caught in Budapest for selling fake certificates for EUR 164. In November, a 41 years old nurse and her 47 years old accomplice helped around 90 people get false certificates for EUR 134.

The price of the fake immunity certificate has seemingly dropped, but the demand is as high as ever. The number of sellers has increased by 257 % since the beginning of 2021. People mainly use WhatsApp or Telegram to sell and buy these false documents. There are about 2,500 groups for such activities. Buyers can pay with crypto currency, but Amazon and eBay gift vouchers are also accepted.

coronavirus
Read alsoBreaking news – Omicron variant present in Hungary!

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Read alsoHungary reports 16,017 new infections over weekend

Katalin Karikó’s team is chosen as Hero of the Year by TIME

time karikó

According to the magazine, the miracle workers behind the COVID-19 vaccines channeled their ambitions to the common good, talked to one another and trusted in facts.

This year the acknowledgments were given to professionals who played a significant role in developing the vaccines against Covid-19. These hardworking heroes are Kizzmekia Corbett, Barney Graham, Katalin Karikó and, last but not least, Drew Weissman.

Katalin Karikó grew up in a small town in Hungary. She studied biology at the University of Szeged where she first learned about RNA. Her interest in this branch of science continued as she pursued higher education getting a master’s degree and then a Ph.D., writes Time. She worked at the Biological Research Centre at Szeged, but after her unsuccessful attempt in corralling mRNA, she lost funding to her laboratory.

time karikó
Source: Time

The now world-famous scientist was perseverent and dedicated to her mission. She decided not to give up on her goal and found a position at Temple University in Philadelphia. Despite her effort, there was an obstacle she had to overcome.

Hungarian citizens were not allowed to take more than $50 with them when they left the country. This measure was taken by the government to ensure that citizens would not become defectors. The Hungarian scientist, however, had a solution to this issue. She and her husband sold their car for $1,200, and hid the cash in their daughter’s teddy bear.

Time presents Karikó as a perseverant woman who is fully dedicated to science. When she moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1989 there were very few people working on mRNA. She spent long hours at the laboratory and applied for grants every month. According to her, she got rejected at least 24 times, but she always wanted to know the reason for the rejection and the ways she could improve her work.

Once again, after 6 years, her efforts seemed unappreciated and she lost funding to the lab for the second time. She moved to the neurosurgery department to earn a living, but continued her research.

She met immunologist and physician Drew Weissman by the copy machine at the office. They struck up a conversation and she managed to convince Weissman about the importance of mRNA research. Afterwards, the two scientists worked together for more than a decade.

In 2005, their results were published in the journal Immunity, and they were looking towards the future with high expectations. Yet their hopes did not seem to blossom.

It took a pandemic for the world to understand the value of Kariko’s work – the magazine writes. In 2013, Kariko joined BioNTech to participate in the mRNA program. By this time, Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, co-founders of BioNTech, were already working on mRNS. Although, they initially had a different goal. The two co-founders tried to develop a vaccine against cancer. When Chinese researchers provided information about the coronavirus, Karikó and Weissman could finally put their knowledge into practice. Then the German company partnered with Pfizer and the rest is history.

In the meantime, Kizzmekia Corbett and Dr. Barney Graham were central figures in developing Moderna’s vaccine. The four scientists finally reaped the success of their hard work and received the acknowledgments they deserved.

And to combat the false and skeptical rumours about the vaccine, there is one more thing to add. Contrary to the misinformation, both Weissman and Karikó have taken the vaccine that they developed themselves. The duo got their first dose on 18 December last year.

coronavirus
Read alsoBreaking news – Omicron variant present in Hungary!

Katalin Karikó Hungarian Scientist
Read alsoCould the Omicron variant end the pandemic? – Katalin Karikó is hopeful

Breaking news – Omicron variant present in Hungary!

coronavirus

The Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in Hungary, according to Cecília Müller, the chief medical officer.

The omicron variant has been detected in two people, Müller told public television current affairs channel M1 on Monday.

She noted that

the Delta variant is still by far the most dominant variant in Hungary.

Today omicron variant was detected in two laboratory samples, Müller said. She added,

one of the infected has mild symptoms, the other is in a moderate condition and is in hospital.

Chief medical officer added that the omicron variant is already spreading in Europe, so it was to be expected that this strain would also appear in Hungary.

She also said that further observations and research on the omicron variant are ongoing.

The programme also said that the national health officer believes that

the third vaccine is now more important than ever.

The Hungarian-owned diagnostic laboratory Neumann Labs informed MTI in a statement that the two confirmed cases of infection with the omicron variant so far have been identified at Neumann Labs, and that

the mutation infected a couple whose members had not visited abroad, so they must have contracted the disease at home.

In addition to the confirmed omicron infection of the couple,

the Hungarian lab is investigating other suspicious cases,

they added.

They said the Hungarian laboratory’s recently introduced new PCR test can detect all new coronavirus infections and separately detect whether the latest omicron mutation caused them.

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Read alsoPassengers almost hit a virus denier for not wearing a mask on a tram – VIDEO

Could the Omicron variant end the pandemic? – Katalin Karikó is hopeful

Katalin Karikó Hungarian Scientist

Leading scientist Katalin Karikó, who has greatly contributed to the development of the Covid-19 vaccine, gave an interview in the Sunday programme of the Hungarian Kossuth Rádió.

In the radio programme, she was interviewed about a few questions concerning the doubts around vaccination, and she debunked a few misconceptions, shedding more light on the nature of vaccines.

Karikó also talked about the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and she believes that there is hope that this might be the last Christmas where we have to deal with restrictions.

Why the need for a booster jab?

To the question of why people might need to get a booster jab, Karikó said the following to Híradó.hu:

When people are vaccinated, a healthy body will create antibodies based on the protein found in the vaccine. When this happens, these antibodies will enter the bloodstream and will also be found in the mucus membrane of the nose.

read also: Passengers almost hit a virus denier for not wearing a mask on a tram – VIDEO

As the number of antibodies begins to diminish, likewise in the mucus membrane, people who have been vaccinated a while ago could be infected more easily than those recently vaccinated. Karikó added that the antibodies can also be present in breastmilk, giving a sort of protection to the children of breastfeeding mothers.

She highlighted that while people who have been vaccinated can get infected since their immune system has previously encountered one of the proteins of the RNA of the virus, it can react thanks to the memory cells, thus helping to mitigate the severe symptoms of the virus infection, potentially saving people, she told Híradó.hu.

However, underlying health conditions and obesity can have a major effect on the mortality rate of infected people.

read also: Hungarian Olympic champion in critical condition due to coronavirus

Karikó refuted the claims that the vaccine causes the coronavirus infection. She explained that mRNA vaccines only contain a string of protein derived from the virus’s RNA.

New variant to end the pandemic?

About the Omicron variant, the Hungarian scientist said that in vitro testing is currently ongoing regarding the effectiveness of the vaccines against the new variant. The data is not yet sufficient, she added.

Katalin Karikó said that if the new Omicron variant takes over the Delta variant, there is a possibility that it could end the pandemic.

She highlighted that it is not yet proven, but she is hopeful that this might be the last Christmas people have to spend the holidays under epidemiological restrictions.

Coronavirus in Hungary
Read also Omicron variant detected near Hungary + latest COVID data

Vaccination week ‘very successful’ in Hungary, says medical officer

Vaccination campaign in Hungary.

Hungary’s vaccination campaign last week was hugely successful, according to the chief medical officer, so a decision has been made to extend it by one week.

Fully 784,000 people were jabbed last week, with 643,000 getting a booster shot, Cecília Müller said. “This is very important,” she added, noting that the virus was mutating at a mounting rate.

It was especially welcome that

96,000 people opted for a first jab during the special vaccination week, she added.

The Hungarian authorities are continually monitoring the omicron variant, she said in a video on the government’s social media platform on Monday.

The national public health centre conducted more than 400 tests going back five days to determine whether omicron was present in Hungary, but it has not been detected, she said.

The government is examining whether or not to declare Covid-19 immunity certificates as expired six or seven months after the date of the second vaccination, but has taken no decision yet, details HERE.

Read alsoThis is how effective the vaccines in Hungary are

Orbán cabinet is reviewing the deadline for the expiry of immunity certificates

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The government is examining whether or not to declare Covid-19 immunity certificates as expired six or seven months after the date of the second vaccination, but has taken no decision yet, Antal Rogán, the cabinet chief, said during his annual hearing in parliament’s economic committee on Monday.

Thanks to its vaccination drive, Hungary was the first to relaunch the country, Rogán said.

“It is now a priority that as many people as possible take up a booster jab which is the only way to prevent or flatten the curve of a fifth wave of the coronavirus epidemic,” he said.

To help attain this goal, the government will launch further national coronavirus vaccination campaigns next month and in January, Rogán said, adding that additional “personal campaigns” were also planned in cooperation with health authorities.

“A booster jab is all the more important because most people got inoculated by the end of June and these vaccines lose much of their effectiveness in preventing infection after four to six months,”

he said.

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Read also Hungary to produce Chinese Sinopharm vaccines!

Egypt and Maldives to honour Hungarian immunity certificates

Covid Passport Coronavirus Passport

Hungary has agreed with Egypt and the Maldives to mutually recognise Covid immunity certificates, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Saturday.

Under the agreement with Egypt, Hungarians who have been inoculated against Covid can enter the country without restriction from Tuesday, with only unvaccinated children between the ages of 6 and 18 needing to present a Covid test upon entry, the minister said in a video on Facebook.

From Wednesday, vaccinated Hungarian and Maldivian citizens over 18 can enter each other’s countries with an immunity certificate, while minors can enter unrestricted, Szijjártó said.

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Hungary has now reached agreements on mutual recognition of Covid immunity certificates with over 20 countries, he said:

  • Albania
  • Bahrain
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Republic of North Macedonia
  • Georgia
  • Croatia
  • India
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Morocco
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Russian Federation
  • Romania
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan
  • Cape Verde
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Read alsoHungarian Covid restrictions in detail — Beware of fake immunity certificates

This is how effective the vaccines in Hungary are

A recent Hungarian study shows how effective vaccines are in Hungary. Among the authors of the study presenting the results are Cecília Müller and Miklós Kásler. They published their results in a prestigious international journal called Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

Recent Study on vaccine efficacy

The study calculated with 3.7 million vaccinated people. Each of these individuals received a second vaccination. The effectiveness is shown by the fact that the infections and number of deaths registered among those vaccinated were compared with data of the unvaccinated control group, writes 24.hu. The obtained results were treated with statistical methods. Researchers also considered gender, age, and date of vaccination.

Among those completely vaccinated, protection against the infection is 68.7 to 88.7 per cent, depending on the vaccine.

Vaccine protection against mortality ranges from 87.5 to 97.5 per cent. Among 16 and 44-year-olds, the latter is 100 per cent. So, no one has died in this age group among those who have received both vaccines. The study period always begins 7 days after the second vaccination.

Comparison between vaccines

The research looked at how effective the different types of vaccines are for specific age groups. Overall, Sinopharm has the lowest efficacy. It protects against the infection in only 43.1 per cent among those over the age of 85.

Data collection for the study ended on June 10th.

This is important because the latest outbreak of the epidemic is no longer included in the study. It is also important to note that the effectiveness of vaccines decreases significantly after half a year, writes telex.hu.

Tamás Ferenci, a biostatistician at the University of Óbuda, also gave his opinion on the results of the study. Ferenci emphasised that the study is not about the current performance of the vaccines. “We need one thing. We need to know the results earlier, especially in an epidemic like this where a week matters. But it is very simple: we have the data, and we have the analysis program required for preparing a study like the one presenting the current results,” said Ferenci.