Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman are the laureates of the "Nobel" prize for medicine this year. The two scientists collaborated on the development of the technology that led to the discovery of the vaccine against COVID-19
Two scientists who developed the technology that led to the discovery of the vaccine against COVID-19 have won the Nobel Prize for medicine this year.
The prize was awarded to Katalin Karikó, a professor at Sagan University in Hungary, and Drew Weissman, who collaborated with Karikó at the University of Pennsylvania.
The panel that distributed the award praised the work of the two scientists as "innovative findings" and very influential.
"This year's Nobel Prize recognizes a discovery that fundamentally changed our understanding of the interaction of mRNA vaccine technology with the immune system and had a major impact on society during the recent pandemic," said Nobel Assembly member Prof. Rickard Sandberg.
Before the pandemic, mRNA vaccine technology was experimental, but it has now been given to millions of people worldwide.
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The same technology is now being researched for other diseases, even cancer.
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
More than 6.9 million people have died since the outbreak of the pandemic worldwide.
The United States has recorded the highest number of victims, followed by India and Brazil.
The "Nobel" prize for the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics will be announced in the following days.
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The laureates will receive their awards at the ceremony on December 10, which is also the anniversary of the award's creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.
The prizes carry a sum of money, which this year is worth 1 million dollars. (Prepared by Forca Jashari)
