COVID-19 Vaccine: Don't Know If We Will Ever Have a Vaccine, Says UK Taskforce Chief

London, October 28: Chairwoman of the UK Vaccine Taskforce Kate Bingham has said the first generation of vaccines against coronavirus or COVID-19 "might not work for everyone", adding that there is no certainty if the world will ever have a vaccine against the deadly infection. Kate Bingham emphasised that people should not become complacent and must continue practising preventive measures. AstraZeneca: COVID-19 Vaccine Shows ‘Strong Immune Response' in All Adult Groups, Says Oxford University.

"The first generation of vaccines is likely to be imperfect, and we should be prepared that they might not prevent infection but rather reduce symptoms, and, even then, might not work for everyone or for long," Bingham wrote in a piece published in The Lancet medical journal. "However, we do not know that we will ever have a vaccine at all. It is important to guard against complacency and over-optimism," she added.

Bingham further wrote that several or all vaccine candidates may fail in protecting the human body against coronavirus. She also said that the global manufacturing capacity for vaccines is vastly inadequate for the billions of doses that are needed to vaccinate the entire world. Two weeks ago, Bingham said there is some chance that a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready for the most vulnerable of the UK's population by Christmas.

Earlier this month, Bingham told the Financial Times that those who believe that everyone in the population will be vaccinated as soon as a vaccine becomes available are nurturing a "misguided perception". In the race to find an effective COVID-19 vaccine, hundreds of trials are being carried out around the world, including six candidates that are being developed in the United Kingdom.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2020 08:46 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).