Coronavirus vaccine might not be ready before holidays, according to health experts

Against all odds and through the perseverance of experts, the development of coronavirus vaccines has made remarkable progress. In a regular scenario, the process normally takes several years with staggering costs. However, with the help of the government, private institutions, regulators, and brave volunteers, the likelihood of success is projected to be quicker than anticipated. Despite the seemingly promising outcome, England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Witty cautions that it is not likely to be ready before the holiday season.

In the past few days, there have been major announcements regarding the performance of two coronavirus candidates in the early stages of trials. One was from Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna in the United States, while the other is from University of Oxford and England-based AstraZeneca. Based on their respective reports published by scientific journals, blood tests from participants show the presence of the desired antibodies. Moreover, the numbers were equivalent to those who naturally recovered from COVID-19.

In a statement he gave to the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee, Professor Whitty expressed that he was "cautiously optimistic." Meanwhile, the Independent noted that were some doubts hinted as to the delivery timeline. If a coronavirus vaccine does become available before the year ends, the likelihood of it being "actually highly effective is in my view very low," he added.

Aside from talking about SARS-CoV-2 inoculation, the renowned geneticist also pointed out the need for the government comes up with appropriate procedures to control transmission. Political pundits, on the other hand, criticised those in charge for their alleged attempts to cover up their gaffes related to the pandemic.

Overall, the outlook on coronavirus vaccine candidates remains positive. In particular, the one being tested by the Oxford Vaccine Group produced results that were more than what healthcare experts hoped for. In addition to the expected immune response, they observed that test subjects also produced both killer and helper T cells.

This shows a three-fold response that would theoretically be more effective than just the antibodies alone. As both Moderna and AstraZeneca move on to the next phases of their respective coronavirus vaccine tests, requests for human challenge trials are likewise being considered. The latter would allow scientist to expose those who have been inoculated to verify their immunity.