Pfizer/BioNTech Target Fall 2020 for COVID-19 Vaccine Availability
In recent weeks Inovio Pharmaceuticals of Pennsylvania and representatives of the German biotechnology firm CureVac AG and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom have announced that their experimental COVID-19 vaccines will be ready for use by September 2020. On Apr. 29, 2020, Pfizer, Inc. of New York stated in a news release that […]
Oxford Begins COVID-19 Vaccine Trials to Meet September Deadline
On Mar. 17, 2020, European Commission (EC) president Ursula von der Leyen said she was hopeful a vaccine for COVID-19 could be available this September. Her view was based on conversations she had had with managers of German biotechnology firm CureVac AG which has developed an experimental messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine that it plans to […]
Inovio COVID-19 Vaccine Uses Electricity to Drive DNA Into Body Cells
Story Highlights Inovio Pharmaceuticals has started Phase 1 testing of its experimental COVID-19 DNA vaccine in healthy volunteers. The U.S. biotech firm has already produced enough of the vaccine to support Phase 1 (immune system reactivity and safety) and Phase 2 (efficacy) testing and plans to have one million doses ready for distribution by the […]
Infant Boy in India Dies Within Hours of Receiving Pentavalent Vaccine
A five-month-old infant boy died on Feb. 12-13, 2020 within hours of receiving the “5-in-1” pentavalent (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B) vaccine at a vaccination clinic in Arani, India.1 2 After he was vaccinated by the health nurse at the clinic, the boy was sent home with his parents. According to […]
University of Pittsburgh Researchers Use Genetically Modified Measles Vaccine to Create COVID-19 Vaccine
Vaccine developers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Vaccine Research (CVR) have taken a part of the coronavirus involved in COVID-19 infection and attached it to a genetically modified measles vaccine that has been used for many years.1 According to CVR Director Dr. Paul Duprex, “CVR has a mandated role to respond rapidly to […]
Gallup Poll Shows Fewer Americans Trust Vaccines
Story Highlights A Gallup poll in December of 2019 revealed that fewer people in the U.S. feel that vaccines are very important compared to a 2001 Gallup poll, a trend that was first noted in 2015. The poll also found there is an increased perception of both advantages and disadvantages of vaccines compared to 2001, […]