![]() Why is this the case? Perhaps one reason for the profusion of the true and false information about COVID-19 is, as described by the World Health Organization, the “ infodemic” that has accompanied the pandemic. The minimum vaccination coverage needed to get a handle on the novel Coronavirus is estimated at between 52 – 85% to achieve satisfactory herd immunity levels. Herd immunity is a powerful public health tool only by ensuring enough people are vaccinated can we prevent the illness and suffering that comes from its spread. Research by Ipsos MORI and King’s College London suggests a similar number in the UK 53% say they would definitely get vaccinated, while 1 in 6 Britons (16%) say they are unlikely to or definitely won’t get a vaccine if one becomes available. Despite the disruption the US currently faces as a result of the virus, recent polls indicate that less than 50 percent of its residents would willingly receive a COVID-19 vaccine at present. Populations around the world face a strange contradiction: most think a vaccine is their ticket back to normality, but simultaneously many of the same people do not feel safe getting a vaccine themselves. As he told the Telegraph: “Any problem with the Russian vaccination campaign would be disastrous both through its negative effects on health, but also because it would further set back the acceptance of vaccines in the population.” But the problems with Vladimir Putin’s move, according to Professor Francois Balloux of the UCL Genetics Institute, are even farther reaching. There are growing concerns among the international scientific community that it has not passed adequate testing protocols before being rolled out. In August, Russia claimed to have produced the world’s first vaccine – Sputnik V. Image: Wellcome Collection via a CC BY 4.0 licence This engraving purports to show Edward Jenner vaccinating a baby – thought to be his own son – in 1790. Given the unprecedented urgency for this vaccine, logistics and funding have been highlighted by immunologists as their greatest challenges. But with huge geographical areas of the world in lockdown, global economics in crisis, and the threat of a second wave before the end of the year, immunologists are under pressure to do everything as quickly as possible and in parallel. Scientific research and testing is arguably the greatest of these hurdles in the “standard” development of a vaccine – which is staged and serial in nature. There are many challenges in the development of a vaccine for any disease. Over 170 vaccine candidates are now in development, with 15 already in human trials. It is arguably the first time there has been such focus on vaccine development. Since the virus emerged onto the global scene in January, the world has been watching the race for a vaccine as seemingly the only hope of ending the lockdowns around the world. Rebecca Forman and Lucy Thompson (LSE) set out what a proactive vaccination campaign would look like. ![]() A COVID-19 vaccine appears to be the only way out of repeated lockdowns – yet in the UK and US, where trust in governments’ handling of the pandemic is already low, many people are minded to refuse it. ![]()
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