New Delhi: People are able to fight off the COVID-19 infection and recover. This suggests that there is a possibility of a vaccine, which can elicit the same type of response, said Manisha Juthani, an infectious diseases specialist and associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine.
Queried on, many experts view that no vaccine has been made for HIV yet, and this viral infection has been around for many years now, Juthani said.
“Human beings have not been able to eradicate HIV with their own immune system. The virus stays alive in sanctuary sites, even with the best medications. However, for COVID-19, we seem to be able to fight off the infection and recover,” Juthani said.
Asked if the recovery of people from the COVID-19 is a bright spot, Juthani said recovery is a key aspect.
“This suggests that we should be able to make a vaccine that can elicit the same type of response,” she added.
However, she said that insisted vaccines, so far, to other respiratory infections are not perfectly effective and the immunity lasts for a few years at most.
Queried on the possibility of availability of the vaccine soon, she added, “I believe, we will be able to manufacture a vaccine. Multiple companies are working on this so hopefully there will be many different types of vaccines. Over time, however, I expect that we will need to get the vaccine every year or every few years to maintain our immunity.”
On the aspect of vaccines, she further added that there are reports that some vaccines might even be available by the end of 2020.
Reportedly, the director of the National Institutes of Health, which is the world’s foremost research centres in the US, said there would be a requirement of 30,000 participants in the Phase 3 clinical trials.
“We don’t believe that we have enough power in the analysis, to be able to document the vaccine works unless you get to roughly that number,” Francis S Collins told CNN.
In India, six companies are working on a COVID-19 vaccine. There are nearly 70 “vaccine candidates”, which are being tested globally.
According to various reports, at least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage, but it is not clear when there will be a vaccine available for masses. (IANS)