COVID-19 Update: Vaccines
How long does it really take to make a vaccine? Why is it a bad idea to rush a phase 3 trial? And how is the COVID-19 global pandemic different from the 1918 flu, also called the Spanish flu? Dr. Jason Bowling, hospital epidemiologist for University Health, discusses these and other questions surrounding the development of a COVID vaccine.
- How long does it normally take to make a vaccine from start to finish?
- What does it take to get a vaccine ready for human phases?
- What are the different phases and what do they mean?
- Why is a phase 3 trial so important to finish?
- What are the potential hazards if a vaccine is rushed through trials?
- When can we realistically expect a coronavirus vaccine for widespread use?
- If so few Americans are willing to take the vaccine when it first comes out, will it really do much good?
- Even with a successful vaccine is it correct that we will likely be wearing masks and social/physical distancing for some time beyond that?
- There have been lots of comparisons between COVID-19 and the 1918 flu. What are similarities and differences?
- What are some of the lessons of the 1918 flu?
