A new report has revealed that scientists from the Duke University have developed a new vaccine that is said to have the potential to protect people from all types of coronavirus that can jump from animals to humans at present and in the future. Recently, scientists who have been involved in the development of the vaccine have held a briefing where they have discussed the new shot. They have said that the new vaccine can halt various pandemics that might emerge in the future. The team of experts has said that the new shot attacks a specific genetic sequence that is common in all types of coronavirus, which helps the virus to attach to human cells. As per the report, the vaccine has been proved to be effective in all human tests that have been conducted so far. One of the well-known infectious disease experts from the US, Dr. Anthony Fauci as well has supported the findings of the experts. He has said that the findings of the study are encouraging and are crucial proof of concept. Immunologists from the Duke University have discussed their findings through a video conference.
Scientists have said that the new shot works by extracting a small part of the pathogen that binds to human cells. Later, it helps the virus to replicate further and gives multiple copies to the immune system. Dr. Kevin Saunders, who is an associate professor at the Duke University and the director of research at the Vaccine Institute, has said that it helps the immune system to concentrate its response against that specific part of the virus. It stops the virus to attach to human cells and later it prevents ensuing infection. Dr. Kevin Saunders has been the lead author of the study. He has said that the new vaccine will not only attach to the SARS-CoV-2 virus but it will bind to other coronaviruses as well that might be circulating in animals. A professor of medicine and immunology at the Duke School of Medicine and the director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Dr. Barton Haynes has said that experts have been able to develop this in such a short time because they have been working on an HIV vaccine for last 20 years. They have published the findings of a breakthrough study of the HIV vaccine. Dr. Barton Haynes has said that the new vaccine as well has been developed using the same technology. He has said that the vaccine designs that have been used in the HIV vaccine development can be used for a vaccine for coronavirus as well.
Dr. Barton Haynes has claimed that the team has been aware that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is an RNA pathogen. It contains the same type of genetic material that is being used by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Health experts have said that the human immunodeficiency virus is one of the most swiftly evolving life forms that are known to scientists as RNA viruses are bound to make mistakes when they start replicating. Health experts have said that the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well develops strains that can be overlooked by the immune system as the body starts producing antibodies against the virus. The authors of the study have said that the new shot is able to prevent the replication of the virus in the nose and in the lungs as well. Dr. Barton Haynes has said that with the new vaccine, health authorities can very well strategize for the next coronavirus pandemic or outbreak. The world has seen two key outbreaks before the COVID19 pandemic in the last 20 years. There has been the SARS outbreak in 2003. In 2011, the world has been reeling through the MERS outbreak. He has been quite certain that there will be more outbreaks like these in the future. Experts have said that with the development of the new vaccine, it will be easier to prevent such outbreaks from turning into pandemics.
