COVID-19 Vaccine: Where is the World at the Moment?

By Ghazanfar Ali

Since it began in China, COVID-19 has ruined many economies and more than a million people have lost their lives to it. The race to develop a vaccine against the virus started as early as November of 2019 when it became an epidemic in China. Due to its lethality, the development of an early vaccine is currently the most important life-saving job on earth.

So, where is the world in developing the vaccine and when will it be available to the common man? These questions have been asked since this virus began to spread in Wuhan last year. Right now, more than 170 research teams are working to find a preventative vaccine, but developing a vaccine is very difficult as is evident from the slow pace of work on it.

Trial Phases

There are different trial phases that must be completed prior to the vaccine being made available to the common man:

  1. Pre-trial: the vaccine is given to animals and is tested for its immunogenetics profile.
  2. Phase 1: the vaccine is given to a small group of people and is tested for its side effects and prevention profile.
  3. Phase 2: the vaccine is given to a few hundred people and is studied again for its effects and side effects.
  4. Phase 3: the testing is further extended to thousands of people and the patients are monitored for rare side effects.

So, where are all the companies in getting these vaccines? Currently, two Chinese companies (BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer, and CanSino Biologics Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology) and two UK companies (the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna/NIAID) are in their third phases of clinical trials. An American company called Novavax is also in the late stage of clinical trials.

Trials Halted

So far, three companies have halted their trials for various reasons. Initially, Astra Zeneca halted its trials in September 2020, but restarted them due to initial safety concerns.

More recently, two US-based companies, namely Eli Lilly, and Johnson and Johnson, halted their trials and are set to restart them.

China Begins Vaccine Administration

In a more recent development, a company in the Chinese city of Yiwu has been administering a vaccine to the public for $60 per vaccine despite not being approved for public use.

However, the Chinese authorities had to relax certain rules and bring in special factors to allow this company to sell their vaccine to the common man.


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When Can Pakistan Expect the Vaccine?

When will Pakistan get its first vaccine? Cansino Bio is also working with Pakistan to recruit patients for the Phase 3 trial.

It is hoped that after a successful Phase 3 trial, this vaccine will be available with 8 to 12 months. This a merely a rough estimate and the period may be extended further. We have our fingers crossed until then.

About the Author

Dr. Ghazanfar Ali is a Consultant Dermatologist and General Practitioner. He is highly experienced in multiple specialties and currently works part-time in NHS, UK. He also provides services to multiple western embassies in Islamabad.



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