More than 150 research projects are underway worldwide with the aim of finding a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Great hopes are placed on this vaccine research, as the treatment of people with the disease is more expensive than the preventive measures of vaccination. However, it is not yet clear when the first effective vaccine will be available. So far, the development of a new vaccine has been estimated to take 10-20 years. Thanks to the latest developments in research, this time span can probably be reduced to about 1-2 years. However, one factor that cannot be shortened indefinitely is the clinical trials that must be conducted to assess tolerability, safety, dosage and efficacy before a vaccine can be used on a large scale.
Vaccine Projects in Germany, Switzerland and Austria
The first vaccine projects have already reached Phase III, so that vaccine candidates are administered to volunteers. Not only is it being investigated whether complete protection is possible, but also whether at least a milder course of COVID-19 disease can be achieved.
Controversial acceleration experiments
Especially in the USA, the idea of using so-called «Human Challenge Trials» to accelerate the development of a vaccine is being discussed. The website 1daysooner.org is looking for volunteers who will first be administered a vaccine and then be specifically infected with the corona virus. Such studies have not yet been approved, as various scientists warn that such experiments are not only unethical, but also risky, as their results are not automatically valid for the entire population. It is therefore to be hoped that thanks to the large number of research projects, success can be achieved soon.