Covid-19 Vaccine: Good Tolerability So Far in Austria

According to Austria's Ministry of Health, the only vaccine approved to date (Pfizer/BioNTech) has so far shown very good tolerability in thousands of trial vaccinations in nursing homes and on Covid wards throughout Austria, and there has also been very positive feedback on the vaccine from other EU countries.

The participation of those affected in Austria so far has been good, averaging well over 50 percent.

These trial vaccinations to gain experience for logistics, procedure and implementation will be continued in the coming week in numerous other retirement and nursing homes in the provinces.

Based on these requests made by the eligible institutions, delivery is made through 17 distribution centers throughout Austria to ensure the necessary cautious handling of the vaccine and to prepare for rapid nationwide simultaneous vaccination throughout Austria beginning January 12.

Starting in the near future, partial deliveries of the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine of around 60,000 doses per week will be made to Austria in January.

The Ministry of Health is also expecting market approval for a second vaccine in the upcoming week.

Moderna's vaccine will also be important for Austria, since it will allow to receive an additional 200,000 doses in the first quarter from Moderna on top of that million doses expected from Biontech/Pfizer in the first quarter.

Moderna's vaccine is also an mRNA vaccine, it must be stored frozen at -20 degrees and requires two partial vaccinations.

Health Minister Rudolf Anschober:

"Our strategy of vaccination directly at the location of the affected persons is being carefully prepared and can then be rolled out nationwide and simultaneously at a faster pace. In this way, the required second vaccination can also be prepared and implemented very precisely and on time."