Scientists are developing a range of second-generation Covid vaccines aimed at extending protection against the disease.
Candidates include one version that may provide protection against many different virus modifications, while other researchers study vaccines that generate responses that are specifically aimed at prevention. put on the spread of the disease.
Other projects include research into the creation of a multi-vaccine that could each treat different types of virus but would be administered as a single injection in a similar way to an annual flu jab, which is -currently combining four vaccines against different types of the influenza virus.
Currently, Covid vaccines are designed to prevent infectious people from becoming seriously ill, to prevent hospitalization and death. It is not yet known how effective they are at preventing the spread of viruses.
“There is no evidence that any of the newly emerged virus variants are causing a disease worse than the original virus,” said Dr. Jonathan Ball, a pathologist at the University of Nottingham. “However, there is evidence that some of these new changes may improve infection and therefore spread in numbers with complementary immunity following a natural or vaccine-induced disease. ”
One possible solution is a vaccine – now being developed by a team of scientists including Ball – which aims not only at the spike protein on the surface of the Covid virus but also another part of the virus, called the N protein.
“We hope this should lead to a wider response from immune systems and therefore wider protection against the virus,” said a Member. Spectator. “And with what we now know about exposure to Covid virus mutations, that could help us strengthen immunity to the disease,” he said.
The project, which also involves the immunology firm Scancell and researchers at the University of Nottingham Trent, has reached a stage where manufacturing of the new vaccine has begun.
Member stated that it was hoped that clinical trials of the vaccine would be launched shortly.
“The vaccine-based plasmid has already been used in other medical treatments and is recovering well in patients,” he said. “So we hope to be able to proceed with clinical trials relatively quickly.”
A different approach is being taken by scientists at Bristol University who have begun developing a vaccine that can stimulate antibodies in the nose and throat.
“That’s the way the virus affects a person, so if you could focus specifically on generating antibodies in the mucosal lines of the upper airways you could help by ” prevent the virus from becoming infected or transmitted, ‘said Adam Finn, a professor of pediatrics at Bristol School of Medicine, University of Bristol.
“In fact, you would be creating an anti-viral equivalent of those United Nations blue-helmet soldiers who control zones of war and prevent attacks.”
To try to achieve this, Finn and his colleagues are measuring antibody levels in the mucosal secretions of people who have received different vaccines against the disease.
“By comparing the strength of these immune responses, we may be able to predict how well they have prevented a spread,” he said. “And from there, we were able to identify the best vaccines that will stop the virus from spreading from one person to another – compared to standard vaccines that are largely evaluated for what how well they prevent Covid’s symptoms from developing. ”
Deborah Dunn-Walters, professor of immunology at the University of Surrey, echoed this point: “The vaccines we have developed over the past year are undoubtedly remarkable achievements, but not the end of the story. they are.
“We have started vaccines that can give us around two-thirds protection from getting a serious infection and maybe 50% protection from the virus. What we need to do is improve on this. There is still a lot of work to be done if we are to beat Covid. ”
Analyzing the numbers
After a year of some of the most exciting news hitting the country today, there has been a dramatic change in accounts of how we fish in the battle against Covid- 19. By a number of different criteria, the future of the United Kingdom emerges from a lock – down, which in the short term, looks stronger and stronger.
Hospital numbers, deaths and new cases have fallen over the past three weeks, while the UK vaccination program is outperforming most other industrialized countries. Scientists have urged a warning about moving too fast in response to this ban of good news. Nevertheless, there is now a feeling that the country’s fortunes are changing dramatically.
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This point was made clear by epidemiologist Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh last week: “The data looks far better than one might have thought two or three weeks ago. So we certainly need to be able to take a more optimistic stance on what is now safe to do. “
For good measure, other research suggests that both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines – which are specifically designed to prevent serious illness – also reduce the spread of the virus from one person to another – although it is not yet clear to what extent. A relatively high level of transmission inhibition would have another significant effect on reducing the pandemic.
But perhaps the most encouraging statistic comes from Israel which has become the most vibrant country on the planet in vaccinating its people. Focusing on its senior citizens as priorities, it has – as a result – seen hospital levels for people over 60 plummet compared to those for lower age groups. It is a good picture of the effectiveness of the vaccine and has a clear impact on the UK where early signs also indicate that Covid injections – as well as locking measures – are beginning to cut into death rates .
“The performance of the vaccine is very good,” said Woolhouse. “You never know how clinical trials can be translated into a real vaccine program. But the numbers look pretty good. The vaccines protect against infection. ”