Coronavirus:the push to produce a vaccine As authorities seek to contain the outbreak,efforts are underway to develop and manufacture treatments

摘要

WITH more than 75,000 cases of novel coronavirus(COVID-19)infection having killed more than 2,000 people in 26 countries,a race is underway to both contain it and develop a vaccine.The World Health Organization(WHO)said on 18 February that it could take around 16 weeks to identify a candidate vaccine for the disease,which attacks the respiratory system.From here,any vaccine would be subject to the inherent lags necessary to test that it is safe for human use,gain regulatory approval for widespread use,and begin large-scale manufacture.WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said”it could take 12-18 months”before a vaccine is available.WHO is working with major donors to invest in vaccine development,including private foundations and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation(CEPI).CEPI was set up in 2017 following the tragic spread of Ebola in west Africa,to help finance and coordinate the development of new vaccines for epidemic outbreaks.