A World Health Organization (WHO) expert has crushed any hopes that a COVID-19 vaccine will be available before Christmas.
According to Daily Mail, WHO emergencies program head Mike Ryan noted that the COVID-19 vaccine may not reach the market until early 2021, even after Oxford University claimed its experimental jab may be available as early as Christmas. They also said that people who are highly at risk could first get the jabs by winter.
While Ryan noted that some jabs are currently in phase three trials and they all have triggered an immune response, controlling the spread of the virus should still be the primary focus.
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020.
Ryan said in a social media event that people may need to wait until early 2021 to get vaccinated. "And we need to be fair about this because this is a global good," the WHO representative told The Sun.
Ryan also added that WHO was working for expanding access to potential vaccines and increasing the production. He also noted that COVID-19 vaccines are not only for the wealthy or the poor but for everybody.
Having a vaccine is crucial to get rid of the coronavirus pandemic because it would secure protection against catching the deadly disease. Anyone who got injected would trigger an immune response to fight the virus quickly.
However, Wellcome Trust director and Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies member Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar warned that the world will continue to live with coronavirus for the next decades. He also told the Health and Social Care Committee on Tuesday, July 21, that the vaccine will not be available by Christmas. "This infection is not going away, and it's now a human endemic infection," Farrar added.
Farrar also lashed the government for having lockdown too late as it should have been ordered earlier. Nevertheless, humanity will still be living with this virus for many years to come even with a vaccine or very good treatment.
A great day for British science
Britain's William, Duke of Cambridge, wears a mask as he meets scientists during a visit to the manufacturing laboratory where a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been produced at the Oxford Vaccine Group's facility at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, Britain, June 24, 2020.
For the study, Oxford University more than 1,000 healthy volunteers. "We are now moving rapidly forwards to try to evaluate whether the vaccine actually protects the population," the chief investigator, Professor Andrew Pollard, told the Telegraph.
He also said they see "a really important milestone" in developing the vaccine as the volunteers have a good immune response. Meanwhile, U.K.'s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said the trial result announcement was a "great day for British science."
"Optimistically, we'll be vaccinating by the end of the year," British Vaccine Taskforce Kate Bingham added.
Meanwhile, Oxford University Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research Director Adrian Hill said the results were at the "high end" of expectations. "It's possible for a vaccine being used by the end of the year," he added.
Phase three human trials will soon start, and currently, more than 10,000 people have been vaccinated already. The researchers now need to determine whether their vaccine would prevent people from contracting COVID-19 or any serious conditions.
