LISBON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Around 27 percent of Portugal's population have antibodies against COVID-19, the country's Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) said on Friday citing its most recent serological study based on samples collected in early March.
"We concluded that 13 percent of the people analyzed had naturally acquired antibodies against the new coronavirus. They had not been vaccinated but came into contact with the virus, got infected and had COVID-19," the study's coordinator, Bruno Silva-Santos, said in an interview with Radio Renascenca.
"Due to the vaccination campaign in recent months, added to that 13 percent were people (14 percent) who have already received the vaccine," he said.
According to the institute, Portugal's population will reach herd immunity by September if the current vaccination campaign in the country is maintained and 75 percent of the population gets immunized.
The study demonstrated that "the previous thesis that herd immunity could be achieved by natural means is invalid. The key is vaccination," Silva-Santos said.
As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in an increasing number of countries with already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.
Meanwhile, 272 candidate vaccines are still being developed globally -- 88 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain, and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on April 16. Enditem
