As of August, several pharmaceutical companies are entering Phase-3 trials of a COVID-19 vaccine with the hope of releasing it into the marketplace around the turn of the new year.
While it may feel like COVID-19 has been a part of our lives for a long time, this virus hasn’t been known to exist to even a year. The scientific breakthrough to have a vaccine for it in just about a year is unprecedented; most vaccines take anywhere from eight to 15 years from concept to reality, and the fastest in history was the mumps vaccine, which took four years to produce. In order to expedite the process, the U.S. federal government invested over $1 billion with the goal of having enough vaccine for 300 million Americans in early 2021.
But the speed of the process can naturally lead to questions surrounding its safety. Topeka Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has information on what you should know about the risks.
The Accelerated Timetable Won’t Lead to Cutting Corners
Companies working on producing vaccines are taking more financial risks with increased budgets to work on several phases at the same time. Usually, researchers will wait until they receive results they are satisfied with a clinical trial before producing the next batch for the trial to follow. Now, companies are creating enough vaccines for the next set of testing while the current test is underway; that way if it’s successful, they can begin the next round immediately. There is a financial risk to this approach, but it doesn’t compromise safety.
No Live Virus Will Be Used
Some may remember a mishap with the polio vaccine in the 1950s, as some of the virus used in the vaccine wasn’t weak enough and hundreds became stricken. But live COVID-19 virus will not be used in the COVID-19 virus. Instead, a genetically engineered protein (a process that was developed for a SARS vaccine nearly two decades ago) is being used by some companies, and others are using a weakened version of a virus that causes the common cold.
Reward Greater Than the Risk
Doctors say that side effects will be discovered in the late clinical trials and once the vaccine rolls out, but so far, they have been mild. They also say that the vaccine being released early will save many more lives than if they wait an additional two years with the virus still circulating in our communities.
To learn more about Topeka Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://topeka-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org/.
