“The 360” shows you different perspectives on the main stories and debates of the day.
What’s going on
It is a commonly accepted truth that the only way the coronavirus pandemic will come to an end is through the development of an effective vaccine. The effort to achieve that goal has been going on for months in countries around the world, at a scale and speed never seen before.
There are currently more than 100 potential vaccines in some stage of development, some of which have advanced to human trials. The Trump administration launched “Operation Warp Speed” in May with the goal of having millions of doses available by the end of the year. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, recently said he was “cautiously optimistic” that a vaccine could be ready in early 2021.
Experts say the virus will continue to spread until about 70 percent of the population has developed immunity. A vaccine is the fastest and safest way to establish what is known as “collective immunity.” The other way, waiting until enough people have been infected, could lead to millions of deaths, epidemiologists say.
Why is there debate?
Despite promising advances in several vaccine candidates, there are still important reasons to be skeptical that a game-changing vaccine is only a few months away, experts say. Developing a vaccine by the end of the year or even next summer would break the record for the fastest vaccine ever developed, which is currently four years old. Even if that extraordinary feat is accomplished, pharmaceutical companies will still need to produce hundreds of millions of doses and distribute them to the people who need them.
That may happen, but some experts worry about investing too much in what would be the best case scenario. “We have never seen everything go smoothly,” a former Trump administration health official told Congress. Some argue that a better plan would be to prepare as if it could be years before a vaccine becomes widely available by developing effective testing, tracking and therapeutic drug systems that can last as long as necessary. There is even concern that the idea that a vaccine is around the corner may be holding back efforts to implement the virus mitigation measures we need at the moment.
Others have suggested that accelerated development may backfire by increasing the risk that an unsafe vaccine will be the first to hit the market. Any setback could increase the already widespread anti-vaccine sentiment among the public, which may undermine the herd’s immunity. There is also a possibility that any new vaccine may not be fully effective or may provide immunity for only a short period of time.
Outlook
Vaccine skepticism may hinder herd immunity achievement
“An approved coronavirus vaccine will do no good if people are not willing to get down to business.” – Editorial, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A vaccine will not be a magic solution, but it is still the best way out of the pandemic.
“If you are imagining that there will be a golden day when a vaccine is approved and the pandemic ends, Finally! We can all huddle in each other’s living rooms and resume choir practice again. – I’m afraid it won’t be like that. But it will be the beginning of the end. There is so much to hope for, and there are huge challenges ahead. ” – Caroline Chen, ProPublica
Vaccine supply chain could break
“It would be a shame if production and supply chain bottlenecks, such as those faced by medical supplies, reduce the availability of vaccines after the discovery. Production should be done globally to avoid bottlenecks, hoarding and facilitate efficient distribution of vaccines to local clinics. “- Krishna B. Kumar, Mahshid Abir and Christopher Nelson, The Hill
Hoping for a miracle cure in the future is causing unnecessary deaths right now
“Like an overly optimistic doctor, some policymakers trust a future vaccine that could arrive in 2021 at best, while people are sick and dying now and the economy is still hampered by a path. unclear towards stability. ” The tragedy is that there is a playbook that can reduce the number of cases and deaths right now. “- Eric Schneider, Los Angeles Times
We should not neglect other mitigation measures while waiting for a vaccine.
“Cheap and easy testing would dramatically reduce transmission and deaths of COVID-19, and better prepare us for future pandemics of this type. Vaccine development can continue in parallel. Our nation deserves to return to normality as soon as possible. We shouldn’t be players in a casino, betting everything on one number. Lives are not tokens. We have other options besides a vaccine. We are going to use them. “- Dr. Sudhakar V. Nuti, Samuel R. Turner and Dr. Howard P. Forman, USA Today
We should devote the same resources to treatments as a vaccine.
“Dozens of approaches could serve as a valuable bridge, from reused medications to custom antibody cocktails. No one can replace the value of a vaccine to return the world to normal, but the availability of more treatment options for sick patients could help increase the chances of a faster and more complete recovery, and reduce the fatality of the disease ” – Max Nisen, Bloomberg
A coronavirus vaccine may never arrive
“There is no guarantee that such a vaccine will ever be discovered, much less that it will be effective or safe. … The science of vaccines is notoriously unpredictable. Despite decades of research, there is still no vaccine to prevent viral infections such as HIV / AIDS, Hepatitis C, Herpes Simplex, Zika, West Nile, or Norovirus. “- Katherine Seley-Radtke and Josh Bloom, Baltimore Sun
The vaccine may be too expensive for average Americans.
“There has been little action in Congress on one thing that could really get things back on track: ensuring an affordable COVID-19 vaccine that can reduce the spread of the disease. Obviously, the first step is the investment that we are already in. looking to create the vaccine, but the second step is just as important: regulation and responsibility to ensure that the medicines we are paying to develop are accessible to everyone. ”- Margarida Jorge, Marketwatch
Trump may launch defective vaccine for political reasons
“Thousands of Americans have already died when Donald Trump perpetually postponed effective public health interventions and made poor therapeutic recommendations. We must be on alert to prevent it from corrupting the rigorous evaluation of the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines in order to get a surprise from the October vaccine to try to win reelection. “- Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Paul A. Offit, New York Times
A vaccine is unlikely to eradicate the coronavirus entirely.
“If and when we have a vaccine, what you get is not rainbows and unicorns. If we are forced to choose a vaccine that provides only one year of protection, then we are doomed to make Covid endemic, an infection that is always with us. ” – Vaccine Expert Larry Brilliant to Guardian
A rush vaccine may not be safe
“The excitement and enthusiasm for a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2020 is palpable and understandable. … But there are risks that come with a fast-track vaccine delivered later this year, including risks related to the safety of the vaccine itself. Timing and approvals for telescopic testing can expose all of us to unnecessary vaccine-related hazards. ” – William A. Haseltine, American scientist
Are there any topics you’d like to see covered in “The 360”? Send your suggestions to [email protected].
Read more “360” s
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images
