With 47 Covid-19 vaccine candidates in testing, it is no wonder that there are myths and misconceptions about when a vaccine will actually be available to the public, and how safe it will be. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) experts have recently addressed the media to clarify some of these issues.
The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that, as of November 3, 2020, there are 47 Covid-19 vaccine candidates in clinical trial phases around the world. There are also as many as 155 in preclinical testing.
Given the sheer number of vaccine candidates that researchers have developed within months of the start of the pandemic, it is only natural that questions and doubts have arisen about this process.
Traditionally, it can take years for a vaccine candidate to undergo testing for safety and efficacy and to gain official approval for distribution to the public.
However, scientists have been ramping up their efforts with the aim of bringing a COVID-19 vaccine to the public in record time.
At this year’s WIRED Health:Tech conference, Prof. Ugur Sahin, the co-developer of one of the most promising vaccine candidates so far — the “Pfizer vaccine” — explained that speeding up does not mean that scientists are rushing the process.
Rather, researchers have been optimizing the vaccine development process by sharing more data across research teams and conducting some of the tests in parallel, rather than consecutively, Prof. Sahin explained.
Still, many people continue to have questions and doubts regarding the safety and efficacy of future Covid-19 vaccines, as well as the development process for vaccine candidates.
Dr. Ruiz-Matuz suggested that the issues regarding an upcoming Covid-19 vaccine did not emerge in a vacuum.
For decades, healthcare policymakers have striven to make immunization against common pathogens available worldwide, particularly to prevent potentially dangerous childhood diseases.
Dr. Ruiz-Matuz spoke of the recent situation of worldwide immunization programs, noting that global coverage of vaccines for 1-year-olds is increasing, leading to a lower number of deaths due to preventable illness in infancy.
In the Americas, he said, cases of childhood diseases that countries have been vaccinating against over the past few decades have lowered drastically. This is the case with rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, neonatal tetanus, and measles.
