Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

1. How COVID-19 is impacting the globe

A new UN report highlighted the mental health threat COVID-19 presents to millions, as it fuels high levels of distress in many countries across the globe.

The isolation, the fear, the uncertainty, the economic turmoil - they all cause or could cause psychological distress, said Devora Kestel, director of the World Health Organizations (WHO) mental health department.

An upsurge in the number and severity of mental illnesses is likely.

Image: UN

3. How the COVID-19 pandemic is fueling the stay-at-home economyLockdowns have sparked a rise in activities that can be done at home, from cooking to gaming. Video streaming, strong for a decade, is also seeing unprecedented growth.

Streaming subscribers around the world (613 million) have surpassed the number of cable subscribers (556 million), according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Additionally, Disney+, saw a 75% rise in subscribers since early February and surpassed 50 million paid subscribers in its first five months.

Though researchers are working around the clock to develop a vaccine to combat coronavirus, a vaccine alone with not eradicate the disease. Huge challenges will still remain to ensure everyone in the world can be protected from infection. These challenges include:

We have a global problem that requires a global solution, says Seth Berkley, CEO of vaccine alliance GAVI. We need the best science in the world. We need the best manufacturing in the world. And obviously we are going to need industry from around the world to engage. If we have anybody left over anywhere as a reservoir of virus, it not only threatens them, but threatens the world.

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Linda Lacina, Digital Editor, World Economic Forum

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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What you need to know about the COVID-19 pandemic on 15 May - World Economic Forum

The FBI alongside the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have formally accused China of funding and operating hacking cells dedicated to stealing coronavirus vaccine research from the US and its allies.

The news was issued as an unclassified public service announcement on CISAs website on Wednesday. News reports over the weekend first said the warning, which is directed at organizations working on vaccine research, was imminent as numerous countries have redirected intelligence efforts toward other nations responses to and research on COVID-19.

The FBI is investigating the targeting and compromise of U.S. organizations conducting COVID-19-related research by PRC-affiliated cyber actors and non-traditional collectors, the PSA reads. These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research. The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options.

The US is not alone here, nor is China the only country attempting to use cyberattacks to spy and gather intelligence on other countries coronavirus treatment efforts and to capitalize on the current pandemic. Israel has accused Iran of attempting to cripple its water supply amid shelter-in-place orders. Earlier this month. the US and the UK issued a joint warning about the targeting of health care organizations and pharmaceutical and medical research companies. The warning didnt name specific countries, but it insinuated that hacking threats may come from known bad actors, or advanced persistent threat groups as the warning words it, like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

The US State Department and the Trump administration are also engaged in a high-level back-and-forth with the Chinese government over assigning blame for the coronavirus pandemic and demands for global compensation, which itself stems in part from Trumps adversarial relationship with the country throughout his presidency over trade secret theft and the outsourcing of American jobs and manufacturing. The US is now accusing China of spreading misinformation about the source of the virus and downplaying the severity and death toll of its ongoing outbreak to better position itself in the aftermath.

The PSA says that vaccine research organizations should be well aware that any press attention on its efforts may lead to heightened security risks, as it could tip off Chinese hackers and lead to potential cyberattacks. CISA and the FBI ask that such organizations patch all systems for vulnerabilities, actively scan all web applications for unauthorized access, improve security with protections like multistep authentication, and identify and suspend access to any suspicious accounts.

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US government accuses Chinese cyber actors of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research - The Verge

Good morning,

Scientists are confident that, with a worldwide push, at least one Covid-19 vaccine can be developed and distributed in record time. And, as with the recent multinational efforts to combat Ebola, Zika and HIV, US expertise is likely to play an essential role. So why did Donald Trump suggest last week that the disease is gonna go away without a vaccine?

Tom McCarthy reports on how the US administrations apparent indifference to global efforts could slow the discovery of a vaccine and hinder Americans access to one when it eventually arrives. Trumps incompetent handling of the pandemic is not just endangering US lives, argues Michael H Fuchs, Americas abdication of global leadership is crippling the global response:

Trump does not seem to recognize that the only effective solution to the pandemic is to counter it everywhere. Without a universally administered vaccine, the virus could continue to cycle through country after country. And as desperate as the situation is in the US, other countries could fare far worse.

Trump brought his first press conference since 27 April to an abrupt end on Monday, after a fresh clash with reporters. At the Rose Garden briefing, the president was flanked by signs that proclaimed America leads the world in testing. But when the CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang asked why he had framed the issue as a global competition on a day when US Covid-19 deaths passed 80,000 Trump replied: Dont ask me. Ask China that question.

The president seemed more keen to focus on his never-ending feud with his predecessor, Barack Obama, who has reportedly expressed disquiet over the Department of Justice dropping its case against Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser. Trump is exceedingly worked up over something he calls Obamagate but cant seem to come up with any details of Obamas alleged crimes.

With parts of New York state preparing to reopen from Friday, and infections back down to the same rate as in mid-March, the governor, Andrew Cuomo, has said he believes the state is now on the other side of the mountain in its struggle against the pandemic. But a CDC analysis has found that the true coronavirus death toll in New York City may be significantly higher than the official count.

Elsewhere in the US

Elon Musk has ordered production to resume at a Tesla factory in northern California, in defiance of the regions lockdown orders.

Volunteers in Florida are scrambling to find new homes for greyhounds after the pandemic shut down the states dog racing tracks.

The family of the first man to die of Covid-19 in Ice custody have spoken to Sam Levin. Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejia, who had lived in the US for 40 years, succumbed to the disease last week while in detention in San Diego.

The emergencies chief of the World Health Organization, Michael Ryan, has said the gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions in countries that appeared to have slowed their Covid-19 infection rates was a sign of hope, but warned that extreme vigilance will be required as parts of the world reopen.

The leading global cause of death is malnutrition. One in nine people is going hungry, or 820 million people worldwide, according to the Global Nutrition Report 2020. The report was written before the pandemic, and its authors say the crisis is likely to set back efforts to alleviate world hunger.

The US supreme court is tackling Trumps tax returns. The justices will hear arguments on Tuesday as to whether the presidents accountants should have to disclose details of his financial affairs, in cases originating in New York state and with Democrats in Congress.

Interpol issued a red notice for fugitive Anne Sacoolas, an American woman charged in the UK with causing the death by dangerous driving of a 19-year-old motorcyclist, Harry Dunn. Sacoolas fled the UK, claiming diplomatic immunity. The red notice means she risks arrest if she sets foot outside the US.

Emo rapper Yung Lean bares his soul

When he first emerged from his native Sweden, 23-year-old Jonatan Leandoer Hstad aka Yung Lean was considered little more than a novelty act. Nowadays, though, hes revered as an emo-rap pioneer. I was definitely ahead of my time, he tells Rachel Aroesti.

Rutger Bregmans tribute to our better nature

The Dutch historian Rutger Bregmans new book is a history of human nature, which argues that our pessimistic opinion of ourselves is misplaced. Its reassuring and thought-provoking, says Andrew Anthony, even if its view of humanity is incomplete.

The social anxiety of choosing a pandemic pod

Around the world, people are partnering up with other households to create pandemic pods who mix only with each other. It sounds like a lovely idea, writes Poppy Noor, but having only just moved to New York, would it leave her looking a bit too desperate for new friends?

During his basketball career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar learned the power of a passionate pep talk. If Trump wants the US to come together as a team to fight the pandemic, he needs to deliver one.

It is the speech Trump should deliver, not because he wants to be re-elected, but because it would address the countrys major concerns, end the political squabbling, provide a reasonable plan going forward, and give Americans confidence that their government is working to protect their health and economic concerns. It needs to be the speech of a statesman not a, well, Trump.

If youre fortunate enough to have an outside space during the lockdown, however small, nows your chance to boost its biodiversity. Amy Fleming suggests a few tricks for creating an English-style cottage garden.

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First Thing: Is the US holding up the search for a coronavirus vaccine? - The Guardian

More than 100 potential coronavirus vaccines are being tested at record speeds. Drugmaker Moderna got FDA approval last week to start a second round of clinical trials and Pfizer began human trials of its vaccine candidate in the U.S.

Kizzmekia Corbett, who leads the National Institutes of Health coronavirus vaccine collaboration with Moderna, told CBS News at the start of the outbreak in January that the SARS vaccine gave researchers a huge head start.

It would take just two months to bring their COVID-19 vaccine to human trials.

"We actually changed the genetic code for the spike protein based on our knowledge that we gathered from designing vaccines for other coronaviruses in the past," Corbett told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.

That spike protein is the key the coronavirus uses to unlock and invade a body's cells. Moderna's vaccine uses genetic material known as messenger RNA to instruct cells to make spike proteins that trigger an immune response to fight the virus.

As one of the first American volunteers for Moderna's trial, 61-year-old Carol Kelly received her first dose in late April. She was told a potential risk was that she might have flu-like symptoms.

"The ultimate bad symptom was I could get really, really sick," Kelly said.

But, with so many people suffering from the coronavirus, Kelly wanted to help.

"I thought, here is an opportunity that just presented itself and I need to do what I can," she said.

At Johnson and Johnson, researchers are using a different approach. They take a piece of coronavirus DNA and place it inside a weakened cold virus, triggering an immune response.

"We have used this so many times before that we know what we have to do in order to get very quickly to a vaccine," said Dr. Paul Stoffels, Johnson and Johnson's chief scientific officer.

Stoffels said the company can have 1 billion doses ready by next year.

Responding to possible concerns that accelerating the vaccine timeline could jeopardize safety, Stoffels said, "It's a biological vector, which has been used a lot in animals and in people ... from small kids to elderly, from people who are healthy to people who are very sick like an HIV, so we have been testing that in a very controlled way already."

Harvard immunologist Dr. Barry Bloom said compressing the process does not mean safety measures are being cut.

"I don't think anybody is thinking about compromising in any manner, shape or form, but we will only know that after the initial safety studies when there's nothing obviously wrong," Bloom said.

But even if there is a successful vaccine by early next year, Bloom said it will likely take several years before enough people are immunized to create widespread protection.

"It's going to make a difference in two to three years, a real difference. And not just in the U.S., but hopefully in many other countries," he said.

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The race to find a coronavirus vaccine: How other viruses put researchers ahead - CBS News

Tolga Akmen | AFP | Getty Images

As people all over the world are adjusting to life during the coronavirus pandemic, a threat has emerged that could potentially interfere with efforts to mitigate the damage. Cybercriminals are attacking pharmaceutical companies, and while these attacks pose a threat to customers' privacy rights, some wonder if they might also interfere with the development of a vaccine.

Sivan Nir, threat intelligence team leader at the cybersecurity company Skybox Security Research Lab, said that many cybercriminals have pledged not to attack health-care providers during the coronavirus outbreak. Pharmaceutical companies, on the other hand, are not so lucky.

"There is a certain amount of 'honor amongst thieves' that exists within cybercriminal communities," she said. "At the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, a number of ransomware operators said that they will no longer be targeting medical or health organizations during the pandemic. This compassionate approach, however, does not extend to pharmaceutical companies."

The pharmaceutical company ExecuPharm was the victim of such an attack in March. The company told the Vermont attorney general's office that the ransomware attack saw driver's licenses, financial information, Social Security numbers and other sensitive patient data compromised and published on the dark web.

ExecuPharm told TechCrunch that a ransomware group called CLOP was responsible, but why would anyone attack a pharmaceutical company in the middle of a pandemic? According to emails between CLOP and the technology security website Bleeping Computer, it's because the ransomware group sees ExecuPharm and other companies like it as profiting from coronavirus, making them fair game.

"We never attacked hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, charitable foundations, and we won't," CLOP told Bleeping Computer. "Commercial pharmaceutical organizations ... are the only ones who benefit from the current pandemic."

The security challenges facing these companies are compounded by the fact that many now have large remote workforces. According to Mickey Bresman, CEO of the cybersecurity company Semperis, the working-from-home situation exposes organizations to increased risk.

"We're already seeing an uptick in opportunistic cyberattacks around the globe," he said. "Bad actors are using the crisis to launch new phishing, malware and other attacks that exploit public concern over Covid-19."

Chuck White, chief technology officer for the cybersecurity company Fornetix, said that pharmaceutical companies have options when it comes to protecting their data and intellectual property from malicious actors. One is to protect data with the strongest encryption methods available.

"Make sure that the organization is using the maximum strength in algorithms based on what their technology can use," he said. "Have your technology enforce that utilization."

Additionally, he suggested investing in storage technologies that can be secured with encryption and having staff use geofencing, which can provide security for local area networks. He also emphasized making sure everyone in the organization is safeguarding the company's intellectual property and personal data by practicing "cyber hygiene."

"Don't use work equipment for personal reasons," he said. "Browse what you need to do your job, not to learn what your favorite sports team is doing."Pharmaceutical companies may need to implement these practices sooner rather than later. According to Jason Smolanoff, global cyber-risk practice leader at the cybersecurity company Kroll, new attacks are already under way.

"It just happened with a pharmaceutical company that's working on a vaccine," he said. "In this case, it was done by a national actor, and indications are that the intention behind it was to steal trade secrets."

He added that there are four main categories of attackers. These include nation-states that are looking to steal trade secrets; hacktivists who are promoting a social agenda; an insider who works for the company; and financially motivated cybercriminals, who conduct ransomware attacks for financial gain. This last category can create headaches beyond mere financial loss for the victimized company.

"These days, there are different versions of ransomware that encrypt the data and also steal it," he said. "The implication is that if data is stolen, the company has a legal obligation to notify people that their data was stolen."

As for the people who depend on pharmaceutical companies to manufacture their medicines, these attacks pose a personal threat to them as well.

"Patients in clinical studies are the main area of threat," Fornitex' White said. "Though the patient's progress and personal information roll into a pharmaceutical's development of the intellectual property, it is still personal information for the patient at the end of the day. Collateral damage from the pharmaceutical's perspective is possibly devastating for the patient."

He said that pharmaceutical companies could protect patient data by weighing how much of it they need to do their job effectively.

"In the spirit of 'cyber hygiene,' it needs to be the bare minimum," he said. "Things like tokenizing user IDs, not making the information useful for an attacker to sell, or possibly blackmail patients."

Despite CLOP's belief that pharmaceutical organizations should be targeted, Bresman of Semperis said that focusing on their profit motive misses the point. He said that targeting any part of the medical infrastructure at this time threatens the health and well-being of the entire general public.

"When attackers target healthcare and pharma companies, they aren't just hacking databases or defacing websites they can actually put lives in danger, and the global pandemic is raising the stakes dramatically," he said. "When attackers shut down IT networks and disrupt services, the strain on already overwhelmed critical infrastructure compounds. [It] undercuts Covid-19 intervention efforts."

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The cyberthreat that could derail the world's race to develop a coronavirus vaccine - CNBC

A logo for Pfizer is displayed on a monitor on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange, July 29, 2019.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

Pfizer CEO and ChairmanAlbert Bourla said Tuesday that the company plans to expand human trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine to thousands of test patients by September.

The U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant, which is working alongside German drugmaker BioNTech, injected doses of its potential vaccine, BNT162, into the first human participants in the U.S.last week. The company said it hopes to test up to 360 people in the clinical trial.

Pfizer is currently testing four different vaccine variations, Bourla said during CNBC's Healthy Returns Virtual Summit.

"We are collecting data as we speak in real time so we know, we are monitoring the safety of the doses," Bourla said. Pfizer will have conclusive data on which vaccine variation stands out in June or July, Bourla said.

If one or two variations indicate success, the company will ramp up trials, and then in September launch a broad large-scale study with thousands of participants if a vaccine proves to be successful, he added.

"If things go well, and we feel that the product is safe and efficacious, and the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and EMA [European Medicines Agency] and other regulatory agencies feel the same, we will be able to deliver millions of doses in the October time frame," Bourla said.

The company plans to produce hundreds of millions of doses in 2021, he added.

There are no FDA-approved therapies to treat Covid-19, and drugmakers are racing to produce a vaccine, which U.S. health officials say is expected to take at least 12 to 18 months.There were more than 100 vaccines in development globally as of April 30, according to the World Health Organization.

CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr.contributedto this report.

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Pfizer wants to expand human trials of coronavirus vaccine to thousands of people by September, CEO says - CNBC

Rinke Bos is a scientist. But under the bright spotlight of COVID-19, the Johnson & Johnson immunologist has also become a media spokesperson, an online video cast member and one of the many pharma researchers who symbolize hope for the world.

Bos leads the J&J vaccine discovery team of about a dozen researchers in the small town of Leiden in her native country of the Netherlands. The teamfirst began designing potential vaccines after the full RNA sequence forSARS-CoV-2 was released publiclyin January. They researched options, performed preclinical testing and correcteddesigns to narrow downcandidates.

The team workeddays, nights and weekends in shifts to build and test 10 different vaccine possibilities. At first, they workedtogether in the lab, but later, after social distancing restrictions went into effectin the Netherlands, they switched to remote workwith only one or at most two people allowed in the lab at the same time. That required some shifts in procedures, such as more detailed note-taking,which becamecritical. Missingspecificsin hand-offs between team memberscould create delays no one wanted.

Understanding the Importance of Crystallization Processes to Avoid Unnecessary Cost, Risk and Development Delays

A well-developed crystallization process can produce suitable particles that can facilitate consistent filtration, drying and formulation of the API and allow confident and reliable manufacturing of the final drug product, while avoiding unnecessary cost, risk and development delays.

Then, on March 30, J&J announced the result of the discovery teams worka leadvaccine candidate. At the same time, the pharma companypledged $1 billion in partnership with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to develop it.

Its the best feeling that maybe we can contribute to developing a vaccine that might prevent people from getting sick. Especially now that it concerns everybody, Bossaid. The whole world needs a vaccine.

Thats mostly exciting, but of course theres also pressure," Bos added. "When your email inbox grows every time you look away from your computer, thats sometimes a bit nerve-wracking. Everybody has questions, and they'realso in a hurry, so you want to answer as fast as possible, she added.

RELATED:How is COVID-19 affecting drugmakers? J&J execs offer some early clues

J&J opened the vaccine facilitywhere Bos works in late 2018 to advance its then-ambitious plans for several viral vaccine programs including HIV, respiratory syncytial virus, Ebola, Zika and a universal flu vaccine. The 72 million sitewith its laboratories andmanufacturing facilitieswas designed to also support large-scale commercial rollouts for those candidatesand now, it will do that for J&Js COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

While the vaccine discovery team's workload slowed somewhat after the candidate was chosen and moved into preclinical testing, Bos is still operating in overdrive. Normally, the team would wait for clinical data before proceeding, but with the accelerated timeline, all work is being done in parallel, she said.

That means even as Bos and her team wait for the start of the first human trials, planned for September, they're already preparing for global distribution to achieve J&J's goal of one billion vaccines by next year.

RELATED:J&J steps up vaccines R&Dand prepares for launcheswith 72M plant

J&J isnt only aggressively tackling the vaccine challenge, but also widely calling attention to its work and its scientists across digital and social media. In a way, J&J is consumerizing the epidemiology ofCOVID-19, bringing details and progress directly to the public.

Bos herself appeared in the first episode of the J&J original online series Road to a Vaccine, a look behind the scenes with journalist Lisa Ling that now airs live every Tuesday on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and JNJ.com. Other J&J scientists,including Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels and global head of viral vaccine discovery Hanneke Schuitemaker, have also appeared on the show and in media interviews.

On a daily basis, Bos is keptbusy testing and making the material needed to start large-scale productiona fact not gone unnoticed by her three children, ages 7, 9 and 11. Initially they thought it was cool that their mom was working on a vaccine that couldhelp the world, but theyve become less enthusiasticespecially during the recent school break, when they would have preferred a playmate and vacation companion.

She's able to take her children to school every day; in the Netherlands, schools can provide care for children of parents who are working in essential professions. (Her husband is a radiology manager at a local hospital.) Bos also reservesevery evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for dinner and family time. After bedtime books are read, however, she heads back to her computer for more data analysis, emails and study.

Bos said she's glad to have her children as a distraction to take her mind off work at times and stay mentally healthy.

RELATED:J&J inks 2nd manufacturing deal to boost capacity for COVID-19 vaccineThe

Even outside of this crisis, its always so nice that as soon as you come home, you focus on the kids. You just think about the kids and you forget about work for a while, she said. They also help keep her in shape. Along with going for solo runs when she can, Bos joins her children in the backyard for bouncesessions on the family's trampoline.

Bos in turn tendsto her work team'smental health and well-being, staying in touch withonline video meetings and dropping offfood or treats to say thank you and remind them they have support. Bos said one of the things she's looking forward to is the time when they can work together again in the J&J offices and labs.

J&J scientists on Bos' teamare just a few of the many people atwork inside pharma and research institutions, developing vaccines on previously unimaginable timelines. Pfizer, Sanofi, Moderna and AstraZeneca all have teams working on the more than 70 vaccine candidates beingconsideredfor COVID-19.

While Americans have been told by government officials and through the media that a vaccine might be available in 12 to 18 months, some are skeptical. Influential biopharma analyst Geoffrey Porges of SVB Leerlink recently put out an extensive report listing the many reasons he believes that timeline is overly optimistic.

RELATED:Sanofi, GSK tie up for COVID-19 vaccine work with eyes on possible 2021 rollout

However, Bos herself is optimisticfor vaccine successshe has worked on influenza, Zika and HIV vaccines and noted that this novel coronavirus has provensimpler than many of those viruses. Because it has not yet changed much, she said, it's easier to design a vaccine than it is for fast-evolving viruses, such as the annual moving target of influenza, for instance.

For Bos, the pandemic offers an opportunity for people to see the real work of pharma scientists and remind them of thebenefit of vaccines. She hopes that by discussing details about COVID-19, peoplewill better understand what scientists at pharma companies doand that their main focus is public health, not making money.

Hopefully we can makeand not just usbut hopefully many companies will be successful and we can produce enough vaccines for the whole world," she said. "The hope is also that the virus will keep being stable and not change over time. In half a year, we will have a lot of data, from us andalso from a lot of companies, that will show if the vaccines can protect people. And thats really the ultimate goal."

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What's it like to work on J&J's coronavirus vaccine? For one scientist, it's social distancing in the lab, late nights at home - FiercePharma

The race to find a vaccine and cure for coronavirus has reached its zenith. Many companies and countries have made significant strides in the search for a vaccine for COVID-19. The search for a vaccine seems like a race against time as countries, including India, prepare to open up and relax restrictions that have been in place for at least a month. India is heading towards the end of its third phase of lockdown. The country has over 70,000 cases, with more than 46,000 active cases. More than 2,200 people have died in India, while 22,454 people have been discharged according to the Ministry of Home and Family Welfare.

Here's a lowdown on where India and the rest of the countries stand on their search for corona vaccine:

INDIA

To begin with, Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific adviser to the Government of India told India TV that India is well on course to find a vaccine. He reiterated that finding a vaccine usually takes years and painstaking efforts. However he mentioned in the interview that if all goes well and the process is followed thoroughly, India is very likely to have a corona vaccine the next 8 months in its hands. He added that once it is developed, the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed to the other parts of the world too. India is collaborating with other nations as well, he added.

Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: PM Modi may detail graded lockdown exit at 8 pm as India's total cases near 80,000

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) along with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) are working together to develop a coronavirus vaccine. A vaccine called CoroFlu is already being tested by the biotech firm. BBIL is working with the University of Wisconsin to develop the vaccine. ICMR also stated that it has transferred the virus strain isolated at NIV, Pune to BBIL.

According to reports, a researcher from Maharishi Dayanand University in Rohtak has stated that she has designed a vaccine, the '3CL Hydrolase-based Multi-Epitope Peptide Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2', at the Centre for Medical Biotechnology at MDU. "This is a protein-based vaccine which will strengthen our body's immunity by raising the generation of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Utmost care has been taken to ensure that the epitopes used in the vaccine are non-toxic and non-allergic," researcher Dr Renu Jahkhar told The Tribune. Her research paper will be published by the Journal of Medical Virology.

Additionally, the Serum Institute of India said that it is planning to produce 6 crore of potential corona doses of the vaccine that is under clinical trial in the UK. University of Oxford is conducting trials for its vaccine.

Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: List of 5 COVID-19 treatment frontrunners

GLOBAL

World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed a UN Economic and Social Council video briefing that there are currently seven or eight top candidates for coronavirus vaccine. He added that efforts are underway and is supported by $8 billion that was pledged a week ago by leaders from 40 countries. "We have good candidates now. The top ones are around seven, eight. But we have more than a hundred candidates," he said.

Meanwhile, Germany has pledged 750 million euros to help in the search of a COVID vaccine. The primary goal of the new funding, approved by Chancellor Angela Merkel, is to include as many volunteers as they can to test the coronavirus vaccine.

US-based Novavax has received $4 million from Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to identify and manufacture coronavirus vaccine. In early April, Novavax had stated that it had identified a vaccine called NVX-CoV2373 that had already shown success in animal models. The subunit vaccine is injected into the body that creates antibodies to protect against COVID-19. Novavax plans to start Phase I of clinical trials in mid-May.

Additionally, Moderna RNA vaccine, Oxford University's vaccine, Pfizer's BNT162 vaccine, University of Pennsylvania and Inovio's vaccine as well as Sinovac's vaccine are in various stages of clinical trials.

Also read: Coronavirus: Glenmark to test Favipiravir on COVID-19 patients, sell drug as 'FabiFlu'

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Coronavirus vaccine: Here's what's brewing in India and globally - Business Today

In one case, the second positive test occurred within a month of the first, so it might have been the same infection, said Jeffrey Shaman, a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbias Mailman School of Public Health. But generally, it seemed the immune system couldnt recognize, and fight off, coronaviruses it had encountered just a few months before.

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How long immunity lasts after a coronavirus infection and what that means for vaccines - The Philadelphia Inquirer

WASHINGTONThe Trump administration is planning to issue a warning that hackers tied to the Chinese government are attempting to pilfer information from U.S. researchers working on the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The alert, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security, is expected to accuse Beijing of working to steal from American institutions intellectual property and health information related to coronavirus vaccines and treatment...

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U.S. to Accuse China of Attempts to Hack Coronavirus Research - The Wall Street Journal