Vaccines are a familiar concept to most people, and the COVID-19 vaccines are no different. Introducing something harmless that mimics the disease into the body triggers the immune system to produce antibodies, which allow the body to combat the actual disease more effectively in the future. Some vaccines last for many years, such as the measles vaccine, while others such as the flu vaccine have to be given every year and don't provide full immunity against the disease.
The coronavirus vaccines are of the latter kind, with people receiving the vaccine likely needing a booster shot after a year. Additionally, they most likely won't provide full immunity, with a leading researcher stating: "What we really want from a vaccine is to stop people being admitted to hospital, going into intensive care and dying."
Trials of the vaccines have seen results, with 9 vaccines from companies in China, Russia, Germany, the UK, and the US progressing to phase 3 trials. In these trials, a vaccine is given to a group of people, while another group is given a placebo. After a certain number of people across both groups contracts the disease, the trial ends and the results are analyzed. For the coronavirus vaccines, between 30,000 and 60,000 people are participating in the trials for each company, with a vaccine being considered a success if it's able to reduce the severity of the disease in 50% or more of those vaccinated.
Results of some of these trials are starting to be analyzed, and many countries have already loaded up on doses of the vaccines when they finally begin production. The US, UK, and Canada in particular have preordered the most and from multiple companies, with at least 5 doses purchased for every person in that country. A limited supply of those doses could be available for vulnerable groups as early as the end of this year, while the general public could have to wait until mid-2021 to vaccinated. Even still, people would likely have to wear masks and follow social distancing when in public.
Source 1: Financial Times
Source 2: CBS
Source 3: CNN
5 comments:
The COVID pandemic has had a huge impact on our world, but now that we are getting close to a vaccine, it seems like things might change(even if we need to get it once a year, like the flu shot). I think it is fascinating how many people are being tested and how so many countries are testing vaccines. I previously didn't know that if it is able to reduce the severity of the disease in 50% or more of cases, it is considered a successful vaccine. Its also interesting how the vaccine is said to possibly be released to the public in mid 2021, which might seem late for many people but it actually seems pretty early to me, since other historic pandemics often lasted many years, sometimes even 20 years. Wearing masks and social distancing have become something that people have gotten more used to in the past few month, and I am sure that more people will get more used to it as this pandemic develops. Thank you for sharing!
Although many vaccines are in phase 3 trials, I don't think that we will have it approved until the end of this year. Trump has made many outrageous claims such as promising 100 million doses by the end of this year, but many certified health officials have repeatedly pointed out the impossibility of that task. Even if there is a vaccine readily available to the public within the next few months, I doubt that it would be received positively. Many people have already doubted this vaccine and could be skeptical due to the rushed manner of the productivity. Additionally, the vaccine has to come in two doses, with the second dose from the same provider and ~4 weeks later, which could lead to a lot of confusion and chaos if improperly executed. Hopefully, when the vaccine does come, the process can be efficiently carried out.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/30/health/coronavirus-vaccine-two-doses/index.html
This blog post was really informative! I find it interesting that the Covid-19 shot will not be a one-and-done vaccine, since the disease is continuing to develop and mutate. It will be important for front-line workers to be vaccinated first and foremost, then followed by the general public. I do wonder, however, how many people will be opposed to the Covid-19 vaccine since the process seems to have been rushed (understandable, considering how many deaths we are seeing). I would assume that anti-vaxxers, along with some people who are pro-vaxx yet skeptical would be unwilling to get vaccinated, so this may be another controversy we will have to face as the following phases of the trials continue, and we progress further in this year and the next.
It’s definitely great to hear that multiple countries are pouring resources into COVID vaccine research, and I agree with my Varsha and Brian regarding the importance of actually receiving these vaccines in a timely, efficient, and practical manner. Additionally, with flu season approaching, the administration of flu shots along with wearing masks and social distancing practices should be of the utmost priority. By receiving the flu vaccine, people can be protected from the flu and prevent unnecessary hospital visits and hospitalizations, especially when hospitals and other medical centers are already heavily strained by COVID cases. And so, like Varsha mentioned, it brings me to worry about the anti-vaccine population and those who don’t respect social distancing practices or wear masks. Herd immunity, a population-dependent phenomenon that protects immunocompromised patients, infants, and the elderly who presumably have conditions that prevent vaccination, is only effective when a large majority of the population has received the vaccine (90-95% of the population is ideal). If people avoid vaccination for COVID, flu, or don’t follow expert advice on prevention of spread, serious repercussions will follow.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm
https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/achieving-herd-immunity-with-covid19.html
Understandably many people have been impatiently been waiting for a vaccine as that seems like one of the only ways to go out freely without feeling like our safety is threatened at this point. However there has also been speculation about the reliability vaccine because of presidential elections influence. I myself have heard many people claim that they would not trust a vaccine that comes out before the elections. However political influence apart, there may be another reason to believe that a vaccine developed within a year is not reliable. Generally a vaccine goes through the exploratory stage, pre-clinical stage, clinical development, regulatory review and approval, manufacturing and quality control. Clinical development phase includes 3 phases of vaccine trials to explore any side effects and the overall effectiveness. On average a vaccine can take 10 - 15 years to be ready for the public. However in a situation like the one right now this process is sped up and has been in similar circumstances in the past. Although it wasn't as spread out like the coronavirus the sars outbreak affected many people. A vaccine was ready for testing in just 20 months. Along with millions of other people waiting for a vaccine I hope we see successful trials in the coming months.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-long-will-it-take-to-develop-vaccine-for-coronavirus
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/basics/test-approve.html
https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/vaccine-development-testing-and-regulation
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