Sir Mark Walport, a member of the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), has warned that coronavirus is going to stay in the world even if the scientific community succeeds in developing a vaccine. Walport also warned that coronavirus infection is not like smallpox which can be eradicated from the world using a vaccine.
Coronavirus to Stay with Humans
According to Walport, coronavirus could stay in the world in one form or the other, and infection rate on the planet can be reduced only through repeated vaccinations and immune booster shots.
"This is a virus that is going to be with us forever in some form or another and almost certainly will require repeated vaccinations. So a bit like flu, people will need revaccination at regular intervals," Walport told BBC Radio4's Today program.
The remarks from Walport comes at a time when Professor Ara Darzi, a former Labour health minister and co-director of Imperial College London's Institute of Global Health Innovation urged the authorities to conduct at least one million tests in the United Kingdom to spot coronavirus patients in the country.
Interestingly, Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist for the World Health Organization, had also shared similar views regarding the usage of vaccines to eradicate coronavirus. According to Soumya, humans will have to live with the virus, and eradicating this pandemic is impossible even if a vaccine is developed.
"We know this virus is not going away any time soon. It's established itself and is going to keep on transmitting wherever it's able to do so. We know we have to live with this," said Soumya during an event hosted by Bloomberg Prognosis.
Developing Highly Protective Coronavirus Impossible
A few days back, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had revealed that it is practically impossible to think about a vaccine that offers 98 percent protection against infection.
Fauci believes that a vaccine that will give a protection rate of at least 60 percent is acceptable now to prevent the drastic spread of coronavirus.
