Cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in more than 90 countries, and thousands of new patients are diagnosed with the disease every day worldwide. Currently, there is no vaccine for coronavirus that can help stop the spread of infection and protect people. When can we expect a vaccine?
Scientists have developed several vaccine options and are testing their effectiveness in animals. If the tests are successful, the next stage – human trials – could begin as early as this year. But even if scientists manage to create a working vaccine by Christmas, it will take a long time to get it into mass production.
New approaches to coronavirus vaccine development are helping to save time and resources. Realistically, an effective vaccine against the coronavirus should not be expected before mid-2021. It should also be noted that the vaccine is being developed in a very short time and new methods are being used to create it, so there is no guarantee that everything will go smoothly. It is worth remembering that there are currently four types of coronavirus in humans, and there is no vaccine against any of them.
Unfortunately, the vaccine will be less effective in the elderly. And the problem is not the vaccine itself, but the fact that the immune response of older patients is less responsive to vaccination. We see this every year when people get flu shots. In addition, all drugs have side effects, even acetaminophen. But without clinical trials, we cannot speak with confidence about possible side effects of the experimental vaccine. How can you protect yourself in the absence of a vaccine? The vaccine is meant to protect us from infection, but for now, the best way to protect yourself from danger is to follow the rules of hygiene.
The majority of infected individuals experience only mild symptoms. Several antiviral drugs are currently being tested, but we cannot say with certainty that at least one of them will be effective against Covid-19. The vaccine must “introduce” the patient’s immune system to a weakened virus or bacteria without harming the patient’s health. The body recognizes the “enemy” and learns how to fight it.
Then, when our body encounters the same infection under real conditions, our immune system will already know which pathogen it is and how to act. For decades, vaccines have been developed using actual virus samples. The measles and rubella vaccine is made from weakened versions of the viruses that are unable to cause full-blown disease. The flu vaccine is based on this year’s most common strains by completely inactivating them. To develop a vaccine against the new coronavirus, other, less proven methods are being used to save time and resources. In particular, a method is being used to create a vaccine based on fragments of the virus’ genetic code. Because we have the complete genetic code of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, it is possible to develop a vaccine that, once introduced into a cell, will cause the production of pathogen proteins and trigger the necessary immune response. In particular, scientists are using the method of transferring a fragment of the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2 to other viruses that are safe for humans.
Such “genetic vaccination” should also theoretically help to increase the immune system’s resistance to coronaviruses. Sometimes fragments of DNA or RNA from pathogens are introduced directly. When they enter the body, they begin to produce pathogen proteins, and the immune system learns to resist these proteins.