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Covid-19: 42 vaccines undergo clinical trial
Dr Monica Musenero, senior presidential adviser on epidemics
What you need to know:
- The progress report on Covid-19 vaccines development by World Health Organisation (WHO) as of October 2, shows that nine of the 42 vaccines are in the final stages of clinical trial.
As the world grapples with Covid-19 pandemic, the scientific community has lined up 42 different coronavirus candidate vaccines that are in clinical trials.
The progress report on Covid-19 vaccines development by World Health Organisation (WHO) as of October 2, shows that nine of the 42 vaccines are in the final stages of clinical trial.
There are three stages of vaccine development.
Although the first clinical trial for the vaccines was in May, most experts think a vaccine is likely to become widely available by mid-2021.
Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, the director of Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), however, said it is hard to predict when the Covid-19 vaccine will be availed.
“Scientists are working very hard so that Covid-19 vaccine is availed by next year. This is science and it is very difficult to give a timeline because sometimes the result of clinical trial turns out disappointing,” he said.
Previously, a number of experts had also predicted that a vaccine could be availed by the end of November but that hope seems to be fading.
The vaccines that are in the final stage of trial are those developed by Chinese firms Sinovac, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm and Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm.
Others are from University of Oxford and AstraZeneca from the United Kingdom, Gamaleya Research Institute from Rusia, and CanSino Biological Inc/Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.
Novavax and Moderna from the United States of America, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer are the other firms.
Dr Monica Musenero, the senior presidential adviser on epidemics, said government is working with scientists to ensure Uganda speeds up vaccine development.
“We have scientists from Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Kampala International University, who have come on board, working together to develop Covid-19 vaccine.
“Other research institutions such as the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) are also involved,” she said.
