Some of the most talented researchers in the world have been working on developing a vaccine for the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. More than 28 candidate vaccines are under development around the world. They’re in various stages of testing. Several use new technologies, others more established approaches. Many are showing very promising results.
Central governments around the world are largely financing these efforts. Normally, vaccine manufacturers pay for the research and make decisions about the trials and going to market based on their potential return on investment.
In this case, central governments (including the US) are financing and buying vaccines in advance so production can begin during the trials. They’re making guarantees to buy even if the vaccine doesn’t end up working or is unsafe. This is speeding up the process by months, even years.
Each day this week I’ll be blogging about the main vaccine candidates, the methods they’re using, the way the trials work (including how to volunteer for a clinical vaccine trial), and an overview of the testing protocol and describe the approval process.
