COVID-19 vaccine – Wikipedia

Hypothetical vaccine against COVID-19

A COVID-19 vaccine is a hypothetical vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although no vaccine has completed clinical trials, there are multiple attempts in progress to develop such a vaccine. In late February 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it did not expect a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus, to become available in less than 18 months.[1] By early March 2020, some 30 vaccine candidates were in development.

Vaccines have been produced against several diseases caused by coronaviruses for animal use, including for infectious bronchitis virus in birds, canine coronavirus and feline coronavirus.[2]

Previous efforts to develop vaccines for viruses in the family Coronaviridae that affect humans have been aimed at severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Vaccines against SARS[3] and MERS[4] have been tested in non-human animal models. As of 2020, there is no cure or protective vaccine for SARS that has been shown to be both safe and effective in humans.[5][6] According to research papers published in 2005 and 2006, the identification and development of novel vaccines and medicines to treat SARS is a priority for governments and public health agencies around the world.[7][8][9]

There is also no proven vaccine against MERS.[10] When MERS became prevalent, it was believed that existing SARS research may provide a useful template for developing vaccines and therapeutics against a MERS-CoV infection.[5][11] As of March 2020, there was one (DNA based) MERS vaccine which completed phase I clinical trials in humans,[12] and three others in progress, all of which are viral vectored vaccines, two adenoviral-vectored (ChAdOx1-MERS, BVRS-GamVac), and one MVA-vectored (MVA-MERS-S).[13]

SARS-CoV-2 was identified on December 1, 2019 as the cause of what would later be named COVID-19.[14] A major outbreak spread around the world in 2020, leading to considerable investment and research activity to develop a vaccine.[14][15] Many organizations are using published genomes to develop possible vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.[14][16][17][18] About 35 companies and academic institutions are involved,[19] with three of them receiving support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), including projects by the biotechnology companies Moderna,[20] and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, and the University of Queensland.[21] Some 300 clinical studies are in progress, as of March 2020.[22]

Social media posts have promoted a conspiracy theory claiming the virus behind COVID-19 was known and that a vaccine was already available. The patents cited by various social media posts reference existing patents for genetic sequences and vaccines for other strains of coronavirus such as the SARS coronavirus.[47][48]

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COVID-19 vaccine - Wikipedia