Even With Vaccine, We May Never Eradicate COVID
Other news on vaccine developments looks at a collaboration for a less than $3 vaccine, an alliance in Europe and Moderna's latest clinical trial numbers, as well.
NPR:
COVID-19 May Never Go Away — With Or Without A Vaccine
Humans have never been particularly good at eradicating entire viruses, and COVID-19 might not be any different. More than 19 million people have tested positive for the coronavirus globally, and at least 722,000 have died. In the U.S., nearly 5 million people have tested positive and more than 160,000 have died. While scientists are racing to find a cure for the virus, there's a chance COVID-19 will never fully go away — with or without a vaccine. But that doesn't mean everyone will have to self-isolate forever. (Garcia-Navarro and Silva, 8/9)
The Hill:
Gates Foundation Invests In $3 COVID-19 Vaccine For Poorer Countries
A coronavirus vaccine will be available to poorer countries for less than $3 a dose under a new partnership between the Gates Foundation and the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker. The collaboration is meant to ensure up to 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be available for distribution quickly to low- and middle-income countries. The arrangement also provides an option to secure additional doses if needed. (Weixel, 8/7)
CNN:
Moderna's Clinical Trial Numbers Show There's 'No Way' Trump Can Have A Vaccine By Election Day
Contrary to his predictions, President Trump won't have a coronavirus vaccine ready by Election Day, vaccine experts tell CNN after reviewing data from Moderna, the first company to begin its Phase 3 clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine in the United States. "There's no way. There's just no way," said Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccinologist at Baylor College of Medicine and a CNN medical analyst. (Coheh, 8/10)
Politico:
European Health Commissioner: Coronavirus Vaccine Could Be Ready As Soon As This Year
A vaccine for the coronavirus could be ready as soon as the end of this year or the beginning of next year, according to EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides. “Although making predictions is risky at this point, we have good indications that the first vaccine will be available toward the end of this year or beginning of next year,” Kyriakides told German business newspaper Handelsblatt in an interview published Sunday. (Anderson, 8/9)
The New York Times:
This Company Boasted To Trump About Its Covid-19 Vaccine. Experts Are Skeptical.
Now, with a new pandemic raging, Inovio is working on a new vaccine: for the novel coronavirus. A flurry of positive news releases about its funding and preliminary results have sent Inovio’s shares up by as much as 963 percent — and helped the company attract money from the government and investors. At the same time, Inovio insiders have sold stock. But some scientists and financial analysts question the viability of Inovio’s technology. (Gelles and Murphy, 8/10)
Also —
The Hill:
Trump Vaccine Official: 'I Would Resign Instantly' If Pressured Politically
The chief scientist of the Trump administration’s effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine said in a new interview that he would “resign instantly” if he was forced to inappropriately accelerate a vaccine for political reasons. “The data will dictate, the facts will dictate,” Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientist for the administration’s Operation Warp Speed, said in an appearance on a podcast hosted by the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday. (Sullivan, 8/7)
