COMMENT | Covid-19 vaccines: No one is safe unless everyone is safe

COMMENT | The Covid-19 pandemic has caught virtually every nation unprepared. The Global Health Security Alliance study in 2019 found that the pandemic preparedness plans of the majority of nations fell deplorably short.

Notwithstanding, the scientific community has risen to the challenge and made major inroads towards understanding the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Apart from the public health measures of masking, physical distancing, personal and community hygiene, avoiding the 3Cs, meticulous attention to the quartet of Test-Trace-Isolate-Support, accurate diagnostics, safe and effective therapeutics, we critically need Covid-19 vaccines to crush the pandemic curve and end this global health crisis.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Chinese health authorities first announced to the world the discovery of a novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV on Jan 9, 2020.

The Chinese authorities shared the full sequence of the coronavirus genome on Jan 11-12, 2020. Sequencing the genome of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for the development of specific diagnostic tests, potential therapeutics and candidate vaccines.

The first vaccine trials in humans began in March 2020 and there are now 54 candidate vaccines in various phases of clinical trials. Of these, 12 are now in Phase 3 clinical trials and six vaccines have obtained national emergency use authorisation (EUA).

This is remarkable, considering the average time required to develop a vaccine from the preclinical phase to licensing for use is at least 10 years...