Vaccines, vaccination strategies, and current challenges

In the torrent of news on the Covid 19 pandemic, it is difficult to distinguish fact from opinion. And then, the experts who do speak out don’t always make it easy for the public to follow what they’re saying. That’s why Professor Dr. mult. Eckhard Nagel, Managing Director of the Institute for Medical Management and Health Sciences at the University of Bayreuth, and Prof. Dr. Claus-D. Kuhn, Head of the Research Group “Gene Regulation by Non-coding RNA” in the Elite Network Bavaria at UBT, have now clearly set out some important information on current developments and challenges. 

Some of the vaccines used against coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are based on mRNA, i.e. on messenger ribonucleic acid. They thus belong to a new type of vaccine that transmits the genetic information of an antigen into the human organism.
The Bayreuth biochemist Prof. Dr. Claus-D. Kuhn explains how this enables the organism to successfully defend itself against the virus – and also shows particular challenges involved in the production of these vaccines.

In a lecture in German Prof. Dr. Eckhard Nagel explains how different vaccines work, and what their respective advantages and disadvantages are. The criteria to be considered in national and international vaccination strategies, as well as the goals that could reasonably be pursued, are also highlighted.

In a presentation in English the focus is on the question of how the fair distribution of vaccines can be achieved at the international level, and who the key players are in this. Basically, “No one is safe until everyone is.”

Vaccinations with AstraZeneca were suspended in Germany on 15 March 2021. The medical and health policy reasons for this decision were explained by Prof. Dr. mult. Eckhard Nagel, Director of the Institute for Medical Management and Health Sciences at the University of Bayreuth, presented in a video. It was started before the health ministers of the federal and state governments – following a decision by the European Medicines Agency EMA – decided to resume vaccination with AstraZeneca from 19 March 2021.

In a further video from March 31, 2021, Prof. Dr. mult. Eckhard Nagel presents very recent findings on the AstraZeneca vaccine, thus demonstrating how a vaccine is in constant development.