Global efforts intensify to develop COVID-19 vaccine

The Coronavirus pandemic has infected over 3.58 million people and taken the lives of over 2,50,000 people across the world. Medical experts have affirmed that a vaccine can be the only tool to tackle the spread of the virus, with majority of world's population still vulnerable to it. Therefore, countries are stepping up their efforts to prepare a vaccine to tackle the deadly COVID-19 virus. Notably, after months of the pandemic breakout in China's Wuhan city, there is still no vaccine developed to protect the people.

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Governments across the globehad to resolve to the imposition of worldwide lockdown to ensure social distancing and safety of the citizens. In the meanwhile, as many as 100 research groups worldwide have been aggressively tracing a vaccine with many researches at early stages of human trials. A potential cure for the disease was developed by the University of Oxford and it started trials on people in Europe from April 23. Pharmaceuticals giants such as GSK and Sanofi have joined hands to prepare a vaccine for the new Sars-CoV-2 virus.

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While it has been maintained that it might take more than a year to develop a vaccine, researchers are working tirelessly to achieve the unexpected in only a few months. In a major breakthrough, the Israel Defence Ministry on Tuesday released a statement the scientists at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) has completed the development phase of an antibody or passive vaccine to the novel Coronavirus.

Funds have been raised by governments and the World Bank since the pandemic outbreak in order to develop a cure for the disease. On Monday, world leaders and organizations from over 40 countries participated in an online summit hosted by the European Union and pledged $8 billion for research, manufacture and distribution of a possible COVId-19 vaccine. However, the US and Russia did not take part in the summit. The United Nations also called for a global effort for the development of COVID-19 vaccines. 

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In Germany, a collaboration between Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech launched a study which is testing four different shots simultaneously. Early stages of tests are being conducted in China as well. As per reports, most of the vaccine studies conducted so far are tracking safety and immune reactions of volunteers' blood samples.

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It is also important to note that, even if a useful vaccine is identified, there will be many challenges looming upon the world. Expeditious production of the inoculation at a global scale will take months. Furthermore, it will pose a mammoth logistical challenge to ensure immunization of the majority world population.