CSIRO is Testing a Potential Coronavirus Vaccine on Ferrets

The search for the coronavirus vaccine continues

CSIRO is Testing a Potential Coronavirus Vaccine on Ferrets

 

Like many other countries of the world, our Aussie scientists are working tirelessly to create a coronavirus vaccine as it seems to be the only option left to control the global pandemic. The testing of the vaccines would first be done on ferrets, and if everything goes as per the plan, it will be tested on humans soon (later in April or in June). Even if this plan is followed, the vaccine won’t be available until the end of the year.

 

When talking to reporters on Thursday, the Director of Health and Biosecurity for CSIRO, Rob Grenfell said “The end of the year would be an optimist’s view. Early next year would be closer to the reality, all things working well.”

As people are getting itchy with the lockdown situation and new restrictions, they want the process to be completed quickly. The coronavirus vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford in conjunction with a US company, Inovio pharmaceuticals.

 

The test subjects are the ferrets that were deliberately infected before they were vaccinated. They were infected at a high-contaminated bio-security facility located in Geelong. It’s been a few days since they were given the coronavirus vaccine and they seem well except for the fact that they have slight fevers.

The Director of CSIRO’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Professor Trevor Drew, talked about the process. He said, “Eventually we will challenge the ferrets – we’ll inoculate them with some of the virus and see how they compare to unvaccinated controls.”

 

If the coronavirus vaccine is effective, the ferrets that have been immunised will not shed the virus, and it might help to flatten the curve. If ferret trials are successful, several rounds of human trials would be needed.

This potential coronavirus vaccine is among six that are being tested around the world. Usually, the testing phases last a couple of years, but as the global pandemic is infecting millions, scientists are working at break-neck speed to save humanity. Still, people have to wait with bated breath and follow the restrictions for a couple of months at least.