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Global research efforts to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 are intense and the international community looks forward to positive results from ongoing clinical trials.
A key question for everyone is the moment of vaccines in the world market. The doctors of the Therapeutic Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ioannis Danasis, Maria Gavriatopoulou and Thanos Dimopoulos (Rector of EKPA) summarize the most important points of a relevant article published in the internationally renowned scientific journal The New England Journal of
Harvard TH Chan University School of Public Health Medicine, University of Georgia Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, USA The authors agree in that the answer to the basic question is that we will have a vaccine when one of the candidate vaccines is safe and effective and can be produced on a large scale, something that cannot be determined by a calendar date but by scientific data.
The question “when will we have a vaccine available against SARS-CoV-2” can, in essence, be divided into three main sub-questions:
1. When will the general public be sure that vaccines will be safe and effective?
2. Will the vaccine be available to everyone or only to specific population groups?
3. When will the effectiveness of the vaccine be seen at the population level and will there be a substantial and continuous decrease in the epidemiological curve?
“The start of phase 3 clinical trials has created enthusiasm in the scientific community, which has spread to the general population. However, it should be clear that the time horizon of scientists may differ from the expectations of the public opinion The acceleration of vaccine production processes is substantial and the steps that, under normal circumstances, were carried out over a period of years have been completed in a few months. However, this does not mean that the later phases of the vaccines clinical trials will be completed at the same speed as the first phases of development of new vaccines were completed ”, affirm the EKPA professors.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that there will be no downsizing in the evaluation process for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates in terms of safety and efficacy.
Additionally, both the FDA and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are already planning intensive surveillance of vaccine safety, even after possible approval.
Regarding the need to immunize the population, it is observed that current data shows that around 90% of people are vulnerable to a possible infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. “Given that between 60% and 70% of the population needs to be immune, either through natural infection or through vaccination, some 5.6 billion people worldwide must be immune to achieve herd immunity and put end the COVID. 19 pandemic “, emphasize the scientists.
According to the researchers, the question is when will it be possible to immunize a large percentage of the world’s population, even with an available vaccine, taking into account minority communities and countries with limited resources.
The US National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has established a special committee to determine the population groups that will receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as a priority. “Priority will be given to people at higher risk of exposure, such as nursing and health personnel, people living in confined conditions, such as detainees, people at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19, such as elderly and people with other comorbidities, or who face access problems, such as those from minority populations and low-income communities? Alternatively, should priority be given to those who are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers and transmitters of the virus, such as public service workers, pupils, and students? Should countries, and in this case the United States, follow an introverted tactic and vaccinate the entire population first, or should they have an extroverted vaccination policy and help the rest of the world? world?
In addition to the answers to the previous questions, it is necessary to have a clear communication strategy, so that the prevention policy has a great impact and acceptance by the public and is effective. Clear and transparent results of clinical trials and their communication in an understandable way so that they can be understood by the public are components of success. Transparency and understanding are the answer to challenging medical recommendations. “A key prerequisite, the scientists note, is clearly the training of medical personnel, who will play a key role in the effort to vaccinate with a safe and effective vaccine.
The authors conclude by answering the main question of the article, “We will have a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 infection when the results of research studies, communication and education during the clinical development of the vaccine form the necessary understanding. ., confidence and acceptance of the vaccination recommendations by the majority of the public “.
Source: skai.gr
