By Ethan V.
There are many researchers in the world trying to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. But how close are we to actually making one that works? Currently there are 142 vaccines that are not yet being tested on humans, 17 vaccines in small human clinical trials, 13 vaccines in expanded trials, and only 5 that are under going large human clinical trials.
One of the vaccines that is closest to production is a vaccine developed by the University of OxFord. One of the trials of their vaccine resulted in 1,077 people making antibodies and T-cells that can stop COVID-19. This vaccine was heavily modified from the chimpanzee's common cold. It was modified so that it couldn't cause infections in people and so that it more closely resembles COVID-19. Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system that attach to viruses and can disable COVID-19. T-cells are white blood cells that find other cells that have been infected and they destroy them.
If you are curious about what it's like to test the vaccine, it is safe but it can come with some side-effects. So far, none of the side-effects have been dangerous but 70% of the people who tested the vaccine had either a headache or a fever. Overall we are still far away from a vaccine for COVID-19, but we are slowly getting closer and closer.
Yes, we are closer, but still far away.
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