17 potential corona vaccines are being tested on humans
Seventeen coronavirus vaccines are currently being tested on humans worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) said this on Thursday after a two-day corona conference in Geneva. Oxford University is the most advanced in the development of its vaccine.
The AZD1222 vaccine from Oxford is the first to enter the third test phase. This means that a large group of people is tested for efficiency and safety. Five other potential vaccines are in phase two, where a smaller number of corona patients are being treated. In the first phase, active substances are tested on healthy people to check their tolerance.
Even if the candidate vaccines fail, the WHO is optimistic. “We have a wide range of four different types of vaccines,” said Ana Maria Henao Restrepo, who is responsible for research and development at WHO. “More than 150 active substances are being investigated.”
It is impossible to predict whether a vaccine will be available by the end of this year. The chief scientist of the WHO, Soumya Swaminathan, expressed that hope two weeks ago. It usually takes years to develop a vaccine, but the global spread of the new coronavirus is causing countless researchers and pharmaceutical companies to make unprecedented efforts to accelerate development.
