WHO "General Vaccination Likely Possible Only by Mid-Next Year"
"Vaccines Must Be Safe... Phase 3 Clinical Trials Will Take More Time"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on the 4th that widespread vaccination against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is expected to be possible by mid-2021.
Margaret Harris, WHO spokesperson, emphasized the strict verification of efficacy and safety in vaccine development during an online briefing held in Geneva on the same day.
Spokesperson Harris explained, "We need to know whether the vaccine truly protects people from the disease and how safe it is. That is why Phase 3 (clinical phase 3) takes more time."
The "widespread vaccination" mentioned by Harris refers to generalized vaccination that allows the global population to benefit without significant difficulty.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump strongly pushed for the completion of a COVID-19 vaccine before the U.S. presidential election on November 3rd, leading some experts to predict that a vaccine could be developed by October. However, vaccines developed in this manner differ from the "widespread vaccination" referred to by WHO.
Meanwhile, according to WHO data, a total of 139 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are currently being developed worldwide. Among them, 26 have entered clinical trials, which involve actual testing on humans. Clinical trials are divided into Phase 1 and 2, focusing on efficacy, and the final Phase 3, which verifies safety.
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The Russian government recognized the registration of the first COVID-19 vaccine last month. However, this vaccine was registered without undergoing Phase 3 trials. Currently, vaccine candidates undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials involving more than 30,000 people include three vaccines: the U.S. Moderna-National Institutes of Health vaccine, the UK AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine, and one other.
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