A vaccine is very likely to happen

[FreierFall]

I've worked in big Pharma for years. I am 99% sure an effective vaccine will be produced this year. It's gonna happen, have faith in scientists. They will be working their butt off....

"Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Wall Street Journal the company's COVID-19 vaccine could be ready for emergency distribution by the fall. The company could further be ready for a broader rollout by the end of the year, he added"

I also think i read that gsk and sanofi were collaborating ( which i believe is rare )to try and find a vaccine .

Does anyone else think it’ll be the elderly and vulnerable who get the vaccine? Or everyone? Like the flu jab.

We’ll have months of people saying ‘I’m staying at home until there’s a vaccine’, then when there’s a vaccine they’ll say ‘I’m not having it, it’s not safe’. There will be no winning

Ain't that the truth.... and of course random MNers know better than the world's top scientists who are rather unlikely to make a vaccine available without doing extensive safety tests.

Oh well, if they're not going to take it, that's great! It will mean more doses are available for the rest of us.

I believe it can be done. Eventually.

I'm not sure how the manufacturing could be stepped up, but someone will have ideas. There will be labs that can surely be utilised for this?

In terms of administration of the vaccine. If they can use the NHS staff who do school vaccines alongside the military? They could train up various other furloughed personnel? Phlebotomists etc? First Aiders? Drive Thrus could be set up.

I'll be elbowing people out of the way to get it if it means I can visit my son.

Does anyone else think it’ll be the elderly and vulnerable who get the vaccine? Or everyone? Like the flu jab.

There can't possibly be enough for everyone immediately so of course there should be a rational priority list.

Some of the people who are querulous now may feel differently when they find themselves at the back of the queue.

I’m sure it will be HCPs, shielding, then elderly (over 70 or maybe 60?). Would love to think that it wouldn’t take long for all over 40s to be offered it but think that might’ve optimistic. I guess it also depends on how strong & long lasting the immunity is - would it require a yearly booster (like some animal corona virus vaccines)?

OP thanks for such a positive and encouraging thread. Much appreciated and from my totally non scientific background (but having read an awful lot!) I also have faith in the science that a vaccine will be found fairly soon x

Some of the people who are querulous now may feel differently when they find themselves at the back of the queue.

^ indeed or their kids aren’t even in the queue. I wonder how much people will be willing to pay a private dr to get hold of it ... will there be a black market? Counterfeit vaccine? New opportunity for organised crime!

I absolutely believe it can be done because the desire and money to make it happen are both present. The same can't be said for minor ailments such as the common cold

I think it's the obvious collaboration that's happening between companies who are normally sworn enemies that gives me confidence that it will happen sooner than expected

Some of the people who are querulous now may feel differently when they find themselves at the back of the queue.

That will be next on their list of things to whine about.

• Full Wuhan style lockdown until a vaccine.

-Vaccine available? Looks dodgy. Neither I nor my children will go anywhere near. -Vaccine available but only for certain groups? But what about meeeeeeeee?

I know sooooo ridiculous! How dare we express an opinion of hopefulness and positivity! (Cardinal sin of MN)
Well technically you are anti vax - just covid specific 😏

Good luck to you @TheClootieDumplin!

I would have offered to have been on the trial if it had happened locally to me. The fact that they have been produced so quickly shows the scientists in charge are working on already partially developed vaccines the Oxford one has just been repurposed. I suspect when one is found it will be rolled out to the most vulnerable and frontline staff first, as it should be.

I read the other day that when that when they estimated 18 months they hadn’t anticipated the level of collaboration that we are seeing happen.

Yuck. Dirty vaccine by the corrupt pharmaceutical companies. No thank you.

All the more for them that wants it.

Flu vaccines are routinely manufactured fresh in enormous quantities every year. It seems entirely natural that they could scale that manufacture up further in the event of a serious crisis.
The developing world is going to find it very tough, but there are a huge number of dedicated people who’ve spent years getting polio and rotavirus vaccines out to every country in the world, so this is not a new problem for us.

A new drug goes through various Phases of development. It's my understanding that they did not do animal testing and went straight into humans (this is fine with me). The vaccine will most likely be a bit of the virus DNA (not the complete DNA, so no disease), the body will then produce antibodies to attack this piece of the virus thereby rendering the virus useless. I foresee no real side effects and would happily be first in the queue although I presume the vulnerable and elderly should get it first.

Testing is important. Remember thalidomide and some of the other big cock ups which wrecked lives. Yeah - I know that wasnt a vaccine but it blighted the lives of a whole generation of children.

A new drug goes through various Phases of development. It's my understanding that they did not do animal testing and went straight into humans

You can't test human immunological response in an animal.

Once tested it should first be rolled our to health care and other key workers who are essential to the infrastructure - not just the fat cats who can pay thousands. After that it will probably be the most vulnerable on the NHS shielding list.

Testing is important. Remember thalidomide and some of the other big cock ups which wrecked lives.

Yes, scientists and regulators do remember thalidomide etc. Thalidomide is why we have now have rigorous testing regimes and regulation. The processes will be streamlined by doing various things concurrently, not omitted.

It's so refreshing to see a thread about vaccines where people have actually educated themselves on the subject! So fed up of the people who say, "It's been rushed, I don't trust it", without having bothered to research anything about it.

I know we all really want there to be a vaccine, but just a reminder there's no vaccine for AIDS yet, 40 years on...