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The United States expects two vaccines to be ready by the end of next month. Skeptics fear political pressure.
Last week, it became clear that the US health authorities expect to be able to distribute two different corona vaccines by the end of October.
A vaccine in such a short time is potentially very good news.
Also read: Next month, the United States may have two vaccines ready, neither is the one Norway is waiting for
But in both the US and Europe, there are concerns that vaccine development is slowing down. for strongAnd especially in the United States, there are fears that President Donald Trump will lobby for an unfinished vaccine to be approved before the November 3 US election.
There are already a couple of examples from US drug authorities granting emergency approval on a thin basis for two corona treatments, one of which has been withdrawn.
Trying to achieve something that shouldn’t be possible
The world vaccine race is driven largely by the extraordinary efforts of both the US and EU authorities. Through political initiatives, they put billions of crowns on the table for pharmaceutical companies to start mass production of vaccines that are not yet known to be effective and safe.
Read also: The EU has signed an agreement on coronary vaccine
The hope is that Yes a vaccine must show that it works, one is already in a warehouse ready for use and a significant production capacity.
In the United States, the program has been called “Operation Warp Speed.”
The name is a reference to the Star Trek universe where “Warp Speed” is a technology to travel faster than the speed of light, which in principle should not be possible. The purpose of “Operation Warp Speed” is precisely to prepare a vaccine much faster than previously possible.
So far, they have invested more than $ 10 billion in eight different vaccine candidates. Among them is the so-called Oxford vaccine that Norway hopes to have access to around the New Year and more vaccines based on new mRNA technology.
Also read: Vaccine technology has never been used before, now it can save the world
Vaccine chief says he will resign if that happens
The director of the program is Moncef Slaoui, former director of the vaccines division of the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKlein (GSK). Slaui was appointed head of the Trump administration in May and even has a political background.
In an interview with the scientific journal Science, he totally rejects the idea of a vaccine requesting approval before one has confidence in the scientific basis.
– I will immediately quit my job if there is undue influence in this process, says Slaoui.
– So if you see that there is pressure for an emergency clearance that you don’t believe in, you resign?
– Then I quit. I must say that so far there has been no interference. Despite my past, which is also my present, I am the same person with the same values. The pandemic is bigger than that. Although I am a political person with convictions, humanity has always been my focus, he says.
Moncef Slaoui at a press conference in front of the White House.
Photo: Alex Brandon (AP)
It also says that it is not relevant to say that no vaccine should be approved before November 3.
– It wouldn’t be nice to do it. 1000 people die every day from covid-19. If a vaccine can be shown to be effective and safe by October 25, then approval must be requested by October 25. If it happens on November 17, you must apply on November 17. If it’s December 31, it should apply by December 31, she says.
– This must be fully protected from the policy. I can’t control what people say. The president says some things, other people say other things. Trust me, emergency approval won’t be requested if things aren’t in order, he says.
– The vaccine seems simpler
As head of GSK’s vaccine department, Slaoui has considerable experience in vaccine development. When asked by Science how he sees the possibilities of a corona vaccine, he is optimistic.
– This time we have benefited from several things. Advances in platform technologies for vaccine development are one thing, especially in the last ten years.
A vaccine platform is all about having a ready-made and approved template for how a vaccine is made, where only the latest can be adapted to attack a new virus. It is especially about the new mRNA vaccines in which the body is given the prescription of how to fight a virus, rather than a weakened version of the virus that it can train on.
This could dramatically reduce the amount of research and development that must be put into each vaccine and could, among other things, lead to more accurate seasonal flu vaccines.
Also read: Fear of a twin pandemic in Norway (+)
– The second is that we have really benefited from the viruses related to SARS and MERS. Vaccines were designed for these viruses. This means that we know how to attack the spike protein, which is very important. So, from that perspective, it’s easier because previous experience has been very relevant.
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