According to reports, the first coronavirus vaccines will come out in July next year, but infectious disease experts cautioned that the vaccine does not mean that the epidemic will end. There may still be confirmed cases and a small number of infected people in Singapore, so the Chinese must learn to coexist with the coronavirus.
Since the first coronavirus case on January 23, Singapore has been fighting the virus for six months. The Ministry of Health has approved the first batch of local vaccine LUNAR-COV19 for clinical trials.
Professor Huang Yingyong, deputy director of infectious diseases at Duke University-National University School of Medicine, jointly developed a vaccine. He revealed in a webinar that “under extremely optimistic circumstances” the vaccine will not be available until July next year. . The earliest. .
“If it can be put on the market in July next year, it will only take one and a half years from research and development to market, which is a huge improvement compared with the 10 to 15 years of ordinary vaccines.” However, he also reminded that To control epidemics, we cannot rely solely on vaccines, drugs or safe distance measures. These three must be combined to effectively combat coronary heart disease.
Professor Dale Fisher, a senior consultant doctor in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the National University Hospital, pointed out that the public must understand that before a vaccine can be obtained, preclinical and phase III clinical trials must be carried out.
According to data from the World Health Organization website, there are currently about 140 vaccine candidates in the preclinical stage worldwide, and another 24 vaccine candidates in clinical trials.
For example, Professor Zhang Yiying, Dean of the Surifford School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, said: “If the first vaccine is produced quickly, there will be only five successful effects, while several vaccines developed later will have better effects. People will still be eager to buy. The first vaccine will affect the future. Therefore, when developing the first vaccine, we must ensure the production schedule of several vaccines and the safety and effectiveness of the first vaccine.
A mutated virus was found in patients with coronary heart disease in Singapore, but infectious disease experts pointed out that there is insufficient evidence that the mutated virus is more easily spread and more toxic. As for whether the virus mutation will affect the development of the vaccine, Temar said that there is no sign that the mutant virus will change the human immune response.
Foreign studies have shown that the amino acid at position 614 is mutated, changing the variant from “D” (aspartic acid, that is, aspartic acid) to “G” (glycine, that is, glycine). This subtle change makes the spikes more stable, which makes it easier for the virus to invade the host cell and produce a higher viral load.
