Washington, May 10: Despite coronavirus emerging as the most fatal contagious disease known to mankind in recent history, the number of individuals who want to be infected as part of vaccine development continues to grow. A global advocacy group has registered over 15,000 volunteers who are ready to be transmitted with the pathogen as part of the vaccine formation trials. Can We Manufacture Enough COVID-19 Vaccine for the Whole World When It's Ready?

The 'COVID-19 Human Challenge Trials', launched by global advocacy group 1 Day Sooner has invited volunteers from all parts of the world to register for upcoming human vaccine trials. As per the latest update, a total of 15,140 volunteers from 102 countries have registered for the cause.

The human trials of COVID-19 vaccine are still at a nascent stage and will require approval from the respective governments to allow their nationals to be exposed to the pathogen. In the United States, the Federal Drug Authority (FDA) is yet to decide on whether human trials would be permitted.

The FDA has so far been approached by three pharmaceutical companies — Pfizer, Inovio and Moderna - for vaccine trials. The trio have conducted phase one of the clinical trials and have not revealed whether they have sought an FDA approval for human trials.

The London-based hVIVO and Switzerland-based SGS are two leading clinical research organisations who are pursuing human trials to expedite the vaccine formation. The two companies, along with an array of global advocates backing their cause, called the human trials a necessary to save thousands of lives that would be lost due to delay in vaccine development.

Critics of the move, however, allege that human trials may pave the way for several unethical tests on humans. While the advocacy groups which are pushing for such trials amid the COVID-19 pandemic are stressing on a consensual approach, those opposed to such tests claim that human consensus may not be sought in the future. The most horrific instance of misuse, cited by netizens, was the mass experiments on humans conducted by Naxi Germany in concerntration camps.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2020 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).