Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic wracked the globe, there has been a mad scramble to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus.
Experts believe that this will take at least 12-18 months, and currently, no approved treatment exists for Covid-19.
However, if trials are successful, British drug giant AstraZeneca is prepared to deliver 1 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine worldwide.
The drugmaker is currently working with Oxford University to develop a Covid-19 vaccine.
For those interested, the Oxford vaccine works by causing recipients’ cells to make proteins that prime the immune system to attack the virus.
It is currently in its first phase of clinical testing that began late in April. Preliminary results are expected to be out mid-June.
If the early stage clinical trial is successful, more extensive trials will be carried out in a number of countries.
Late-stage clinical trials will involve 30,000 participants and a paediatric trial.
While the vaccine’s efficacy is currently unproven, AstraZeneca has expressed that it has the capacity to make 1 billion doses and can start supplying in Sep.
The company has already taken orders for 400 million doses of the vaccine.
AstraZeneca is also working with international organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure the vaccine is fairly distributed.
Hopefully, clinical trials confirm that this vaccine is exactly what the world needs to recover from the pandemic.
Not only would it save lives, Singaporeans can also revert to life as we know it.
As the government previously mentioned, Phase 3 of the reopening plan will likely last until a vaccine or treatment for Covid-19 is discovered.
So let’s cross our fingers and hope this vaccine checks out.
Featured image adapted from Freepik.
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