The first indication of the effectiveness of a probable vaccine for the novel deadly coronavirus or COVID-19 might be available in autumn, the head of the GAVI vaccine alliance stated as quoted by a Swiss newspaper, while making a forecast of a long road ahead from there to broad availability.
"Unfortunately, we really do not know which vaccine will work and whether there will be one at all. If we're lucky, we'll receive indications in autumn as to (a potential vaccine's) effectiveness," Seth Berkley, head of GAVI, told NZZ am Sonntag in an interview that was published on Sunday.
Effectiveness of Probable Coronavirus Vaccine Might be Understood in Autumn
"But there will still be a long way to go from there until an approved active substance becomes available in large quantities for the global population." Calling for globally coordinated efforts both to produce and share an eventual vaccine, Berkley said international agreement was needed to build up manufacturing capacity to rapidly-produce a vaccine once one is found.
"(Countries) should work together in order to share in each other's vaccines in case one's own are not good," he said, adding it was possible some vaccines would work better for younger people and others for older age groups.
He urged the Wealth Health Organization to issue clear guidelines on a vaccine's use and distribution to prevent a vaccine first being made available to the rich at the expense of the people most in need. Should an effective vaccine become available in an initially limited supply, it should first be used to immunize health personnel, he said.
(With agency inputs)
