Coronavirus: The race to develop a vaccine - BBC Newsnight

Testing, tracking and isolation will all reduce the short term impact of the virus, but can we eradicate it?

A coronavirus vaccine remains the Holy Grail treatment, and the hunt for find one if the mother of all global competitions at the moment.

There are more than 100 potential vaccines being tested at a cost of billions of pounds - but if one is ever developed, is it likely to be a commercially lucrative win or patent-free for the good of humanity? Health Correspondent Deborah Cohen reports.

In the studio Kirsty Wark is joined by the director of the Wellcome Trust and SAGE member Jeremy Farrar who told Newsnight that “in retrospect it was” a mistake to drop the test, track and trace strategy in early March and change the UK's policy towards tackling Covid19.

#Health #Coronavirus #Newsnight

Newsnight is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs TV programme - with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.

[lazycalm]

Medical Science spent 18 years trying to develop a vaccine for SARS yet we still don't have one!

[beatsbyface]

We can't say vitamin d is good for your immune system but experimental injections are fine to broadcast

[shanjanusman]

One thing we in The UK need to do is to rebuild our manufacturing capacity and get it back here in the next decade. We cannot go back to a cheap low wage domestic services economy where profits and enslavement overrides health and wellbeing.

[tnkman]

No thanks. I’ll take my chances with my God given immune system.

[jacquelinesmith]

I Am a sovereign being!
I do not consent!

[chrisu.k]

Reading the comments, I’m glad to see I’m not the only one that thinks this whole plan demic stinks! I’m worried about the coming forced vaccine but I’m glad I’m not alone.

[garyburrows]

Like Coca-Cola, will they offer different varieties? How about 'mercury free" or "Zero formaldehyde"or the Pro-Life "not grown from human aborted foetus"?

[nathancrook]

Bill gates funds the BBC they would say this shit

[lindsaybelderson]

The planet is getting pretty sick and tired of humanity. This is just a warning shot.

[the_alchemy_method]

This is not even news! I wonder if they can stretch this longer than brexit which may i add just up and left without a note! 🤣😂😅

[crazylovelol]

Me in 2019:2020 is gonna be great

Me in 2020:Covid 19 is a thing,
I take it back how 2020 is gonna be great. 2019 take me baaack

[NoNamenoonehere]

its not So Complicated, The Company or group that figures out a cure or a successful vaccines, NEVER HAS TO PAY TAX ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD EVER AGAIN! or would that not work ?

[theunknowneuropeanburplege]

Why would we Dump a Vaccine years ago and make another one Seriously everybody that Speak in the TV are so Uncareful when announcing something it’s either when it’ll End which is too Irrelevant to Admit or their getting too weird and cheesy about Restaurants and when we touch things when our Hands are actually Clean stop scaring us and do the Job Properly.

[UncleBoratagain]

This Coronavirus is too infectious, our best approach is to release healthy under 50’s from the pointless and penurious lockdown. In doing so, use logic to protect high risk groups.

[--]

15 YEARS! 18 Months!? God come out here and use your power against the Coronavirus PWEEESE

[martincrossley]

Maybe I'm missing a trick here but even if we get a vaccine tomorrow how long will it take to manufacture the 66m doeses needed and how will they be able to deliver it to the public in a timely fashion. They health service currently has a problem delivering the flu jab to the general public and restrict it to the 12m or so over 65's plus some folk with underlying health issues. So it could take a minimum of two years to vaccinate everyone and would probably take even longer. Which then begs the question why are we trying to drive the infection rate down. With a pop of 66m and a mortality rate of up to 1% we will have 660k deaths( assuming no vaccine). With a death rate of 500 per day approx 15000 per month it will take nearly 4 years to acquire the herd immunity. If as we appear to be doing we drive it down to below 100/day that will take 18 years for the herd immunity to kick in. All track and trace will do is slow this process down even further and the infection could be with us for the next 30 to 40 years.

[Hussein_Nur]

I dont know why 1 third of the comments here have a problem with the video. Its very educational. Nothing wrong with it.

[dcooperpromanager]

If we keep it below the 'R' using sensible procedures, it will die out naturally.

[samstone]

“A coronavirus vaccine remains the Holy Grail treatment, and the hunt to find one if the mother of all global competitions at the moment.” This is the BBC’s own description for this video. Have you made all literate people in your workforce redundant?

[georgethompson]

It's a delivery system pure and simple, the question is delivery of