Optimism for a possible cure for COVID-19 has been mounting since Oxford-AstraZeneca developed the positive results of the vaccine in its two initial human trials. Now, two more vaccines, that of Moderna Inc and that of Pfizer Inc in the US, have entered the final phase or 3 of human clinical trials. Both vaccines are beginning trials with volunteers of up to 30,000 each. Final trials will test the safety and efficacy of vaccines in humans between the ages of 18 and 85 and could hopefully clear the way for regulatory approval and widespread use by the end of this year, according to reports from news. While Moderna Therapeutics had never brought a vaccine to market before Pfizer began its vaccine development process in 2019 in collaboration with a German biotech company BioNTech. The duo’s late-stage clinical trials will take place in 39 US states and also in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Germany; in total, 120 global sites.

These two vaccines are part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to accelerate the vaccine testing, production and manufacturing process. Moderna has been facilitated with special US funding support of $ 1 billion, in addition to non-traditional technology support that enables faster development and manufacturing. Pfizer Inc has also reached an agreement with the Trump Administration whereby it would supply 50 million doses to the US at a cost of $ 2 billion, in addition to new technology support. Subject to approval, Moderna aims to produce 500 million to 1 billion doses a year starting in early 2021, while Pfizer will have 1.3 billion doses ready by the end of 2021. Of course, most of the doses will be They will be used in USA, and some will be distributed in some other developed countries.

Meanwhile, the Serum Institute of India has partnered with Oxford-AstraZeneca and is already in the process of manufacturing 2-3 million doses by the end of August 2020, taking calculated risks that the Oxford vaccine will repeat its positive results also in the final phase. The Institute has also obtained permission from the Government of India to conduct end-stage human trials in India as well as of August 2020. According to news reports, the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine called AZD122 will be manufactured and distributed in India as a Covishield vaccine, which would cost less than INR 1000 per dose. The Institute has also announced to the media that it will have at least 50 million doses of Covishield ready by the end of 2020, half of which will be delivered to the government of India, while the remainder will be delivered to other countries, in their most less developed nations. .

Therefore, there are various levels of optimism available to the anxious subjects of planet earth. The most optimistic is Donald Trump’s goal of full-scale use in the next two months; Considering the three-vaccine scenario, the likely expected delivery would be by the end of 2020; and World Health Organization scientists / doctors still hold the view that a safe and effective vaccine may be ready for mass use only in the first half of 2021, according to the most optimistic count. Many other experts around the world say that if a vaccine is produced in one year, that would be unprecedented, because it takes five to ten years for a normal vaccine to be ready for mass use. However, they further say, in view of the fact that COVID-19 is a totally new virus and the way the pandemic has been sweeping everywhere for the past few months claiming more than 6.50,000 lives so far, the urgency to produce a vaccine in a rapid time is justified. But they say that developing a safe and effective vaccine is a complicated job, the challenges are great at every stage: from manufacturing to distribution and finally how many millions will be vaccinated also considering the fact that many of them might not be willing to. get vaccinated. vaccinated.

Being optimistic is a positive sentiment and therefore there is nothing wrong with waiting for that magic cure for coronavirus which has shown a variety of strains from mild to severe to fatal, making it an extremely dangerous part to deal with. . We must expect a safe vaccine as soon as possible, either by the end of this year or in the first half of 2021. Our hope is not unfounded, because apart from the three vaccines in the final stages of trials, as we mentioned above, there are around than 150 candidate vaccines worldwide in various stages of development. The probability factor, therefore, is fast becoming a possibility factor: human victory over the enemy of humanity is almost a matter of time now.