The head of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech says Europe can achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus within the next four months.
While the exact threshold required to reach that critical level of immunization remains a matter of debate, experts say a level above 70% would significantly disrupt transmission of the coronavirus.ADVERTISEMENT
BioNTech developed the first widely approved COVID-19 vaccine with U.S. partner Pfizer.
BioNTech’s chief executive, Ugur Sahin, says “Europe will reach herd immunity in July, latest by August.”
He says data from people who have received the vaccine show the immune response gets weaker over time, and a third shot will likely be required 9-12 months after the first and again every 12-18 months.
