Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal (Jan 2021)

Vaccine in response to COVID-19: Recent developments, challenges, and a way out

  • Sameer Quazi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/bbrj.bbrj_166_20
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 2
pp. 105 – 109

Abstract

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 proved to be disastrous as it affected a large population in the period of a few months. As the virus took hold in the world, health experts paced efforts to solve the unknown nature of this threat. Besides finding short-term and sudden relief, scientists directed their efforts to provide a long-term solution for an ensuing pandemic that influenced all areas of life in unprecedented ways. The subject matter of this research involves exploring the relevant literature regarding passive immunity in fight against the virus. It is expected that different vaccine platforms such as traditional recombinant protein, macromolecule DNA and mRNA, and nonreplicating and replicating viral vectors could be helpful if utilized properly. This article is going to discuss all these platforms and recent developments regarding the formulation of the vaccine. It is going to highlight the need for the production and distribution of the medicines along with challenges that are present in this task. The facts involving social, political, and economic aftermath would also be discussed in the current research. There is no doubt that biotechnology is going to provide a sound foundation to fight with upcoming health-related challenges. Along with the exploration of this fact, the article is going to prove a case for effective collaboration among all stakeholders such as government, academia, health sector, and civil society. The mechanism of collaboration would produce safety and efficacy data with the help of many volunteers, to speed up the distribution of multiple vaccine platforms to fight against COVID-19 and to strive for a better future.

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