So, when are we getting that COVID vaccine? Is anyone on that? Turns out some people are — many people, in fact. And thanks to a range of factors, we may have something useful in record time (like, this year).
The lead scientist developing the Oxford vaccine
says they could be through large-scale (10,000 people) human trials by September, and believes there's an 80% chance it'll work. That's some good news for a change.
There are dozens of other vaccine candidates in development:
- Moderna's vaccine is in Phase 2 (small scale human testing) and early results look somewhat promising.
- A number of vaccines in development in China are in Phase 3.
- A clinical trial of a Canadian-made vaccine is under way in Quebec City with 6 participants.
Why it matters: Getting a vaccine or effective treatment is crucial to saving lives and fully restarting the economy. But vaccines usually take many years to develop, so compressing that into the course of months would be a remarkable feat of science.