Miklós Kásler, Minister of Human Capacities, presented Hungarian-born biochemist Katalin Karikó with the Semmelweis Ignác Medal and Award in Budapest on Tuesday.
Minister Kásler said Karikó made history with her decades-long research of mRNA technology, which played a major role in the development of COVID-19 vaccines, thus it was no question she deserved the most prestigious professional award. The minister added that the historical value of the idea that the researcher formulated decades ago was similar to the one of Ignác Semmelweis.
Karikó said she would now continue her work to find treatments for diseases that she previously put on hold due to the pandemic.