30/07/2020
Why is a coronavirus vaccine important?
The virus spreads easily and the majority of the world's population is still vulnerable to it. A vaccine would provide some protection by training people's immune systems to fight the virus so they should not become sick.
This would allow lockdowns to be lifted more safely, and social distancing to be relaxed.
What sort of progress is being made?
Research is happening at breakneck speed. About 140 are in early development, and around two dozen are now being tested on people in clinical trials.
Trials of the vaccine developed by Oxford University show it can trigger an immune response and a deal has been signed with AstraZeneca to supply 100 million doses in the UK alone.
The first human trial data back in May indicated the first eight patients taking part in a US study all produced antibodies that could neutralize the virus.
A group in China showed a vaccine was safe and led to protective antibodies being made. It is being made available to the Chinese military.
Other completely new approaches to vaccine development are in human trials.
However, no-one knows how effective any of these vaccines will be.
When will we have a coronavirus vaccine?
A vaccine would normally take years, if not decades, to develop. Researchers hope to achieve the same amount of work in only a few months.
Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become widely available by mid-2021, about 12-18 months after the new virus, known officially as Sars-CoV-2, first emerged.
That would be a huge scientific feat and there are no guarantees it will work.
Four coronaviruses already circulate in human beings. They cause common cold symptoms and we don't have vaccines for any of them.
Via-BBC-News
