WHO develops 70 Vaccines for COVID-19

The World Health Organisation says 70 vaccines for COVID-19 are being developed while three are undergoing clinical evaluation.

As the outbreak of the novel virus became a pandemic — with more than 115,000 dead, drug makers and virologists initiated research in a race to find vaccines and drugs for its treatment.

In a document released on its website, WHO gave an exhaustive list of vaccines that are underway as well as the pharmaceutical companies and countries spearheading the projects.

It said a total of 67 candidate vaccines on the listicle are in preclinical evaluation. One of the remaining three was said to be an experimental vaccine under clinical trial (phase two), having been developed by the Hong Kong-listed CanSino Biologics Inc and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.

Two others, both of which are currently being tested in humans, were said to have been created separately by two US drug makers Moderna Inc. and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Bloomberg reports that CanSino had, in March, received Chinese regulatory approval to start human trials for its vaccine.

Moderna, a Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, similarly received approval to proceed with trying the drugs, skipping years of animal trials, which would have otherwise been next.

Among the companies that also joined the race to develop a vaccine are Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi, both of which have their candidates in pre-clinical stages.

In February, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general, said the first vaccine for COVID-19 could be ready in 18 months.

It will be recalled in a statement on Saturday, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, quoted Buhari as saying the lockdown is a major attempt to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

He acknowledged the efforts of Nigerians as well as the sacrifices made during the stay at home period.
“We realize that today, there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents, and elders that are isolated from young ones. And there will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, who face real and present suffering,” he said.

“No elected government could ask more of the citizens of the country that elected them than today we ask of you. But we must ask you – once more – to observe restrictions on movement where they are in place, and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical advisers: stay home, wash your hands, save lives.

“The freedoms we ask you to willingly forsake today will only last as long as our scientific advisers declare they are necessary. But they are essential – world over – to halt and defeat the spread of this virus.”

He also spoke about palliatives, asking people to get updates on how to be beneficiaries from the media.
The president said no vaccine has been found to cure to the virus, adding that the defeat of coronavirus in the country lies in the hands of Nigerians.

“For those who suffer most egregiously, the Government has announced multiple measures to assist: 70,000 tonnes of grain is being released from the National Strategic Grain Reserves for distribution to those in most need; distribution of small cash payments are also being made, and will continue to be made by the federal government in the states and local government areas,” he said.

“We ask you to listen and follow public announcements via the mass media for instructions as to how to receive this government support – and learn of more public assistance in the coming days.