Why prefer vaccines to drugs? The Covid jab protects better and it is cheaper

About 4,800 people have received monoclonal antibodies in Slovakia. To compare, there were more than 2.4 million vaccinated people as of Monday.

Vaccine saves lives. Thank you for being responsible.Vaccine saves lives. Thank you for being responsible. (Source: TASR)

The government approved the purchase of 35,000 packages of antiviral drugs with the effective substance molnupiravir. It is a drug that prevents the spread of coronavirus in an already infected person.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

Monoclonal antibodies are copies of the antibody produced by the human immunity system to fight coronavirus infection. Antiviral drugs are the substances used to cure viral diseases, such as Covid.

Three monoclonal antibodies are used in hospitals across Slovakia – casirivimab, imdevimab and bamlanivimab.

SkryťTurn off ads

They are highly effective if combined. Hospitals that use them to treat patients, especially use a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab.

They would also like to use a combination of bamlanivimab with the fourth drug – etesevimab – but this one is not available. The Health Ministry has not approved it for medical purposes and did not answer when it will be finished. The Ministry's spokesperson Zuzana Eliášová noted that the ministry is currently closing a contract to purchase a combination of bamlanivimab and etesevimab.

Antiviral molnupiravir has not been used because its first supply has yet to be delivered. The ministry did not answer when it will arrive.

About 4,800 people have received monoclonal antibodies in Slovakia. To compare, there were more than 2.4 million vaccinated people as of Monday.

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

Stock image.

Twice as many Ukrainians work in Slovakia now than before the Russian invasion.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad