Vaccine and drug trials are slow, to account for safety. But in a pandemic time isn’t just money – it’s lives
The race is on to find a treatment for coronavirus. This race is split between two approaches: the trialling of pre-existing drugs used for similar diseases, and the hunt for a vaccine. In both instances, important ethical decisions must be made. Is it OK to reassign a treatment that comes with side-effects? And with thousands dying from coronavirus every day, is it acceptable to cut corners in the search for a vaccine?
We are really living through something that six months ago would have been a decidedly hypothetical bioethics vignette. In the midst of a pandemic, how do you weigh lost and impacted lives when thinking about Phases I, II and III trials for a vaccine or cure? We plan to write something about this for the subscribers’ area. We have included links to 14 related items.
.
You may also like to watch this special TED discussion: https://www.ted.com/talks/bill…
.
But the WHO estimates that a vaccine won’t be ready until June 2021. There are requirements that have to be observed. The gold standard for this kind of research is the clinical trial – administering the vaccine to a large number of people in controlled conditions and measuring its effect. Usually scientists wait 14 months to monitor effectiveness and possible side-effects – which is why we may have to wait until next summer. Coronavirus vaccine trials face the following dilemma: we need treatment quickly but we also need to know it will work. The worst outcome for the medical industry would be a vaccine that either did not work or, worse, was harmful or had side-effects. Globally, faith in vaccines is already at an all-time low.
.