One of the founders of BioNTech, a coronavirus vaccine producing company, Prof. Dr. Uğur Şahin made statements on the third dose of the vaccine:
“The second dose provides protection against severe diseases, but the third dose of vaccine will completely stop the transmission of the disease.”
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, on the other hand, recently stated that there is no need for citizens who have received 2 doses of mRNA vaccine to receive a 3rd dose of vaccine for the time being.
Kathimerini, one of the newspapers operating in Greece, made the headlines of the statements of Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin, the founders of BioNTech, who were in Greece last week and won the “Empress Theophano” award. Answering the questions of Alexis Papachelas, who made an interview with two scientists after the award ceremony, the scientists said that they were hopeful about the future.
ŞAHİN: “WE MUST FOLLOW IF THERE IS ANY NEW VARIANT OF THE VIRUS.”
Uğur Şahin also mentioned the issue of COVID-19 variants and the protection rate of the vaccine:
“Currently, the dominant mutation is the Delta variant. As we have seen in laboratory experiments, the vaccine we developed neutralizes this as well. It is important to remember that the antibody decreases over time and a third dose of vaccine will increase the antibody level. Thus, full protection against the Delta variant can be achieved. Though we will see and examine how long this process will continue. Antibody levels are very high after the first dose and we hope this effect will continue until next spring. Then we have to look at the antibody levels and see if a new variant is coming. Right now, we can say that those who have been vaccinated 2 doses of mRNA vaccine are safe.”
ŞAHİN: “THIRD DOSE WILL COMPLETELY STOP THE SPREADING OF THE CORONAVIRUS.”
Uğur Şahin stated that it is important to have a third dose of vaccine and said:
“Without the third dose, the transmission of the virus will continue. We know that two doses of vaccine is only effective in reducing severe diseases, but the third dose will completely stop the transmission of the disease. I also believe that protection from infection will be very useful without bringing the pandemic under control.”
Turkish Minister of Health: “Those who have 2nd dose of Biontech do not need to have 3rd dose right now.”
Fahrettin Koca, the Turkish Minister of Health, though talked opposedly of Şahin in a written statement after the Coronavirus Scientific Committee meeting held with the video conference method last week, and made evaluations about whether people who have received 2 doses of mRNA vaccine will need a 3rd dose of vaccine, and noted the following:
“As we have explained before, considering that our citizens with 2 doses of mRNA vaccine were vaccinated on average 4 months ago, it was evaluated that protection still continues. In this regard, our investigations on those who have been infected with the virus despite being vaccinated are continuing. Currently, there is no need for our citizens who have received 2 doses of mRNA vaccine to receive a 3rd dose of vaccine. Once again, I strongly recommend that our citizens who have received inactivated vaccines receive their third dose of vaccine, either with mRNA or inactivated vaccine, without wasting time.”
