Rumors circulate about vaccines and cures for covid-19. Let’s keep in mind that reliable news does not come from Whatsapp audios or Facebook posts. Vaccines are being created but this takes time.
The World Health Organization estimates that a reliable, mass-produced vaccine against covid-19 will not be available until mid-2021. It took a year to make a vaccine for AH1N1 influenza. Before vaccines were available for SARS and MERS, the spread of these diseases had been controlled and a vaccine therefore not needed.
As for a cure, no one is really looking for a covid-19 cure as the symptoms can be treated with medicines already available. A vaccine, on the other hand, would be beneficial because it would prevent the disease and symptoms.
Scientists in Seattle are performing clinical trials for a prototype vaccine. The Chinese are in Phase 1, testing a potential vaccine on a small number of people. There are three phases before a vaccine is used in the general public, to endure safety and have a list of side effects.
