Moderna Chairman to MTV: COVID will remain for a while, and the vaccine is our means of protection

Co-founder and chairman of Moderna, Dr. Noubar Afeyan said in an interview with MTV that "COVID will remain for a while before it disappears; this virus mutates and will find a way to stay and fight the immune system," stressing that the vaccine is the best means of protection.

Regarding the South African variant, Afeyan said that Moderna's vaccine provides protection against it, but to a lesser extent

Afeyan explained that the process of distributing vaccines is organized, as laws must be adhered to and that he is working with Lebanon to distribute the vaccine as required.

"The technology that Moderna used had been carefully studied for the last 10 years and we have not seen any of the genetic changes that we see in conventional gene therapies," Afeyan assured the Lebanese.

"We have conducted several studies," he added, "the vaccine should be stored at -25 degrees Celsius; it can be placed in the refrigerator for one month and taken out of it for 12 hours."

As for the side effects of the vaccine, Afeyan confirmed that they include muscle pain, a minor fever or a mild cold.