It will likely take a few more months and a vaccine should be available sometime in the mid of 2021
The novel coronavirus has been the news in 2020. Over 56 million people around the globe have been affected by COVID-19 and nearly 1.4 million people have lost their lives. There are more than 15 million active cases at this point in time. The burning question is when an effective vaccine will be available for the masses.
Good news
There are at least two vaccines for COVID that have offered promising results in Phase 3 trials. Pfizer’s vaccine is said to be 90% effective while Moderna claims that its vaccine has shown a 95% success rate. The former needs to be kept in extremely low temperatures to remain effective and has a short shelf life in a refrigerator. Moderna’s vaccine has a better shelf life and does not need to stay in extremely cold temperatures to survive.
Is mass production around the corner?
It is a tricky question for now. U.S. President Donald Trump recently said that he wants people to get the vaccine straight away. However, health officials believe that it will not be that straightforward and can take months before the vaccines are available to the public. Certain protocols need to be followed in order to ensure the vaccine’s efficacy. Mid 2021 is the expected date for these vaccines to be available for widespread use. One of the factors is the need to study the potential side effects of these vaccines.
Pfizer expects to deliver more than a billion doses of the vaccine in 2021. One can expect other vaccine developers to come up with their solutions as well in near future. To date, three vaccines have reached the third stage of clinical trials though none of them is yet approved for the coronavirus. Results, however, are quite promising.