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A coronavirus vaccine has long been seen as the only viable route out of the current pandemic, which has claimed the lives of 1.29 million people worldwide this year. Developed by Pfizer and German company BioNTech, results have confidently suggested the virus is 90 percent effective against the deadly COVID-19.
The world has got itchy feet from the news of the vaccine, with millions hoping it will bring an end to the hellish reality of living with COVID-19.
The first results from any late-stage vaccine trial are still preliminary, but that hasn’t stopped countries around the world from ordering millions of doses.
It is hoped the vaccine will be rolled out late this year.
Despite the good news, the World Health Organisation is reminding people not to stop using current spread prevention methods such as social distancing, face masks, and the regular washing of hands while we wait for the vaccine to be released.
How many times will you need the vaccine?
In terms of initial doses, a patient would first be injected with one dose, which will help the immune system learn to produce antibodies to fight COVID.
A second dose will be administered 21 days after the first.
After the vaccination, if the person comes in contact with the virus in everyday life, antibodies and T-cells are then quickly triggered in order to fight it off.
At this stage, it is currently unclear whether it will need to be administered every year.
The flu jab is usually administered every year, as different strains of the disease frequently emerge.
It is thought dedicated practices will be set up for mass immunisation to take place.
NHS England has told its 1,250 primary care networks to designate a single practice to administer vaccines in their area capable of operating during 12-hour shifts, from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, according to a recent Government document.
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Is the vaccine safe?
Pfizer and BioNTech have reported no serious safety concerns from the new vaccine.
Four versions of the vaccine were tried out in earlier clinical trials, and the one that produced the fewest cases of side effects such as fever and fatigue was selected.
Ian Jones, professor of virology at the University of Reading, said: “Of all the current vaccines currently in development, the BioNtech product always looked like the most bang-per-buck as it is entirely focused on the part of the virus that binds to the human cell, the receptor-binding domain.
“The questions around its use were about the ability to manufacture at scale and the possible toxicity associated with a directly injected RNA product.
“The trial data show excellent results in both of those areas, really impressive protection and no reported adverse events.”
Is the vaccine mandatory in the UK?
No. No vaccine has ever been mandatory throughout the UK, and you do not have to take it if you don’t want to.
Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021 – with the UK having already secured 40 million doses.
Vaccines are an absolutely crucial element of any public health policy – and they usually take years to develop.
Only one infectious disease has ever been fully eradicated – which is Smallpox – and even that took 200 years.
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