BY: CLAIRE KIM
According to the New York Times, there are over 125+ vaccines in process for development, 7 vaccines testing safety and dosage, 7 vaccines expanding safety trials, and only 1 vaccine experimenting its large scale effectiveness.
As of right now, no vaccine has reached the final stage, phase IV: approved for public use. Satisfying this stage would require the vaccine to be as harmless as possible while having enough of an effect to kill the virus in the body, a duality that comes with precise experimentation and trial after trial.
Along with the difficulties of reaching such guidelines, one of the hardest parts about creating this vaccine specific to the coronavirus is the vulnerability of the virus to mutations throughout its lifetime. The unpredictable nature of these genetic mutations has pushed scientists and microbiologists to consider several dimensions when creating the perfect vaccine. The mindset they have to maintain to achieve such success is to be “elastic”. In other words, they have to be open to changes and willing to start over if their research doesn’t align up with the behaviors of the virus.
This most definitely is a frustrating process, but we, as recipients of the vaccine should stay optimistic.
Though these obstacles seem to block the legacy of finding a coronavirus vaccine any time soon, it’s reassuring to hear that so many projects are in the works, fighting to bring a cure as fast as possible. In the near future, whether that be in two months or half a year, I’m hopeful that our death rate will turn around, hospitals will declutter, and our daily routines will be more exciting to endeavor.
claire kim. 