Scientists are developing a range of second-generation Covid vaccines aimed at extending protection against the disease.
Candidates contain one version that can provide immune defense against many different virus variants, while other researchers are researching vaccines that will generate responses specifically aimed at blocking the transmission of the disease.
Other projects include research into the creation of multiple vaccines that can each tackle different virus strains, but are administered as a single sample in a manner similar to annual influenza vaccines, currently combining four vaccines against different strains of the influenza virus.
Currently, Covid vaccines are designed to prevent infected people from becoming seriously ill, to prevent hospitalizations and deaths. It is not yet known how effective it is to block viruses transmitted from person to person.
“There is no indication that any of the new virus variants that have appeared recently cause worse diseases than the original virus,” said Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at Nottingham University. “However, there is evidence that some of these new variants may be better infected and thus spread in populations that have existing partial immunity to natural infection or vaccination.”
One possible solution is a vaccine – now being developed by a team of scientists, including Ball – that not only targets the acorn protein on the surface of the Covid virus, but also another part of the virus, called the N -protein.
“Hopefully this should lead to a much wider response of immune systems and thus provide a much wider immunity to the virus,” Ball said. Observer. “And given what we now know about the emergence of Covid virus variants, it may help us strengthen the protection against the disease,” he added.
The project, involving the immunology firm Scancell, and researchers at Nottingham Trent University, has reached a stage where production of the new vaccine has begun.
Ball said the clinical trials of the vaccine were hoped could be launched soon.
“The plasmid that forms the basis of the vaccine has been used in other medical treatments and is well tolerated in patients,” he added. “We are therefore hopeful that we can proceed with clinical trials relatively soon.”
Another approach follows scientists from the University of Bristol who have started developing a vaccine that can cause antibodies in the nose and throat.
“This is the way the virus infects a person, so if you can specifically aim to generate antibodies in the mucous membranes of the upper airways, you can help prevent the virus from infecting or passing on someone,” he said. Adam Finn said. professor of pediatrics at Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol.
“In fact, you would be creating the antiviral equivalent of the United Nations’ blue helmet soldiers who control war zones and prevent invasions.”
To try to achieve this, Finn and his colleagues measure antibody levels in the mucous secretions of people who have been given different vaccines against the disease.
“By comparing the strength of these immune responses, we can then predict how good it is to prevent transmission,” he added. “And from there, we can identify the vaccines that can best prevent the virus from spreading from one person to another – as opposed to current vaccines that are judged primarily on how well they prevent Covid symptoms from developing.”
Deborah Dunn-Walters, professor of immunology at the University of Surrey, supports this point: ‘The vaccines we have developed over the past year are undoubtedly incredible achievements, but this is not the end of the story.
‘We started with vaccines that can protect us about two thirds from serious diseases and maybe 50% against the transmission of the virus. The thing we need to do is improve it. There is still a lot of work to do to beat Covid. ”
Analyze the numbers
After a year of the most disturbing news plaguing the country in modern times, there has been a dramatic change in reports on how we are doing in the fight against Covid-19. According to a number of different criteria, the outlook for the UK coming out of the closure in the relatively near future seems stronger and stronger.
The number of hospitalizations, deaths and new cases has dropped over the past three weeks, while the UK vaccination program still surpasses that of most other industrialized countries. Scientists have pointed out that they need to move too fast in response to this deluge of good news. Nevertheless, there is now a palpable feeling that a significant change is taking place in the prosperity of the country.
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This point was summed up last week by epidemiologist Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh: “The data looks much better than anyone could have imagined two or three weeks ago. We must therefore certainly be able to take a more optimistic stance on what it is now safe to do. ‘
For other measures, other research suggests that both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines – which are primarily designed to prevent serious diseases – also reduce the transmission of the virus from one person to another – although it is not yet clear by how much not. A relatively high level of transmission blockade will have a further significant impact on limiting the pandemic.
But perhaps the most encouraging of all statistics comes from Israel, which was the most energetic country on the planet to vaccinate its population. Due to the major elderly of the citizens, it has been seen as a result that the hospitalization rates have dropped in the ages of over 60 years compared to the lower age groups. This is a dramatic illustration of the vaccine’s effectiveness and has clear implications for the UK, where early signs also indicate that Covid shocks – in addition to the closure measures – are starting to decrease in mortality rates.
“The action of the vaccine is really good news,” Woolhouse said. ‘You never know how clinical trials will translate into a true mass vaccination program. But the numbers look very good. The vaccines protect very well against serious diseases. ”