Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman win the Nobel Prize in Medicine for enabling the development of MRNA vaccines
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Assembly, announced the award on Monday in Stockholm.
The Nobel Prizes are worth 11 million Swedish crowns (US$1 million). The money comes from a bequest from the prize’s founder, the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.
This is a recent update. AP’s earlier story follows below.
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Six days Nobel Prize The announcements begin on Monday with the announcement of the winner of the medicine prize.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was won last year by a Swedish scientist Svante Paabo for discoveries in human evolution that revealed secrets of Neanderthal DNA and provided important insights into our immune systems, including our susceptibility to severe COVID-19.
The award was the second in the family. Paabo’s father, Sune Bergstrom, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1982.
The Nobel announcements continue with the Physics Prize on Tuesday, the Chemistry Prize on Wednesday and the Literature Prize on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the Economics Prize on October 9th.
The prizes are worth 11 million Swedish krona (US$1 million). The money comes from a bequest from the prize’s founder, the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.
The Prize money was increased by 1 million crowns this year due to the fall in the value of the Swedish currency.
Laureates are invited to receive their awards at ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death. According to his wishes, the prestigious Peace Prize will be awarded in Oslo, while the other award ceremony will take place in Stockholm.
Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands.