World’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine trial underway in the U.K

Efforts are being ramped up to come up with a medical solution earlier than the anticipated timeline of 12–18 months

With the number of global coronavirus infections surpassing well over 3 million, the pressure is mounting to come up with a medical solution for the contagion before it causes irreparable damage to the global economy and health of its population. In a positive development, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said a vaccine could be available as early as this year for vulnerable groups like healthcare workers — a much shorter time frame from the 12–18 months given earlier.

The global alliance for developing vaccines against infectious disease is already supporting nine different COVID-19 vaccine projects, including the ones initiated by Moderna, Inovio Pharmaceuticals and Novavax — the former two are conducting human trials with technologies involving modified or otherwise manipulated genetic material.

Although a lot of American biotech companies seem to be at the front and center of these endeavors to come up with a vaccine for the current pandemic, the biggest and most expedited trials are being conducted across the Atlantic, in the U.K. The biggest trial yet of vaccine to treat…