Learn from the news about how researchers are trying to design a vaccine that prevents Covid-19 infection, the current vaccine candidates and what science is learning about antibodies produced in individuals infected with Covid-19.
Click on dark blue words or terms to see their meaning in the glossary.
STAT: What to make of the AstraZeneca vaccine data — and the surrounding controversy
(March 26, 2021)
nature: Latest results put Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine back on track
(March 25, 2021)
nature: What it will take to vaccinate the world against COVID-19
(March 25, 2021)
nature: What scientists do and don’t know about the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine
(March 25, 2021)
- An expert committee of the European Medicines Agency “said on 18 March that the vaccine was safe and was not associated with a higher risk of blood-clotting generally, but it couldn’t rule out a link with two very rare and serious clotting conditions, one of which affects blood vessels that drain the brain. It suggested that these potential risks be stated on the product’s packaging”.
NatGeo: Here’s the latest on COVID-19 vaccines
(March 24, 2021)
Reuters: Major European nations suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine
(March 24, 2021)
VCU: Johnson & Johnson vaccine: How is it different? (Updated on May 3, 2021)
(March 22, 2021)
PT: CanSino’s Covid-19 vaccine receives approval in Hungary for emergency use
(March 22, 2021)
nature: Rare COVID reactions might hold key to variant-proof vaccines
(March 19, 2021)
- Some people develop defenses that protect against several SARS-CoV-2 variants. Understanding why could help in the development of better vaccines.
BBC: Covishield and Covaxin: What we knew about India’s Covid-19 vaccines
(March 8, 2021)
Al Jazeera: Canada approves AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot in boost to campaign
(February 26, 2021)
NatGeo: The U.S. may soon have a third vaccine. Here’s how it works.
(February 26, 2021)
Al Jazeera: Israel’s coronavirus vaccines wielding political power
(March 22, 2021)
Al Jazeera: What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines?
(March 21, 2021)
DW: German coronavirus vaccine inventor being investigated
(March 10, 2021)
SciAm: What the CDC Guidelines for Vaccinated People Mean
(March 10, 2021)
Science: Countries now scrambling for COVID-19 vaccines may soon have surpluses to donate
(March 9, 2021)
c&en: Without these lipid shells, there would be no mRNA vaccines for COVID-19
(March 6, 2021)
NPR: Got Questions About Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine? We Have Answers
(March 4, 2021)
BBC: Covid vaccines cut risk of serious illness by 80% in over-80s
(March 1, 2021)
PBS: How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compare to other coronavirus vaccines?
(March 1, 2021)
PopSci: Does it matter which COVID-19 vaccine you get? (March 1, 2021)
Updated on September 7, 2021
SciAm: 7 Ways to Reduce Reluctance to Take COVID Vaccines (March 1, 2021)
Visual Capitalist: COVID-19 Vaccine Doses: Who’s Got At Least One? (March 1, 2021)
BBC: Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine: FDA approves single-shot jab
(February 28, 2021)
STAT: FDA authorizes Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine
(February 27, 2021)
NPR: CDC Launches Web Tool To Help Americans Find COVID-19 Vaccines
(February 24, 2021)
SciAm: Experts Answer the Biggest COVID Vaccine Questions
(February 19, 2021)
nature: Can COVID vaccines stop transmission? Scientists race to find answers
(February 19, 2021)
ACEP: How the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work, and Some Current Concerns
(February 19, 2021)
PopSci: Storing the Pfizer vaccine could get a lot simpler in coming weeks
(February 19, 2021)
SciAm: Booster Shots Against Scary COVID Virus Variants Are In the Works
(February 18, 2021)
Science: Vaccine-wary France turns to citizens’ panel to boost trust in COVID-19 shots
(February 18, 2021)
SciAm: COVID Vaccines Are Safe and Effective—What the Research Says
(February 17, 2021)
Science: To aid vaccine research, U.K. approves deliberate infections of volunteers with coronavirus
(February 17, 2021)
STAT: The myth of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Covid vaccines: Why false perceptions overlook facts, and could breed resentment
(February 17, 2021)
Science: How soon will COVID-19 vaccines return life to normal?
(February 16, 2021)
nature: COVID vaccines and safety: what the research says
(February 16, 2021)
Reuters: Moderna says U.S. supply of its vaccine doses have lagged recently
(February 16, 2021)
BBC: How do we know Covid vaccines are safe?
(March 15, 2021)
BBC: Covid-19: Netherlands suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine
(March 15, 2021)
STAT: The curious case of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine
(March 15, 2021)
Al Jazeera: Mexico begins vaccinating elderly against COVID-19
(February 15, 2021)
Science: Should you mix and match COVID-19 vaccines? Scientists are seeking answers
(February 12, 2021)
SciAm: Why COVID Vaccines Are Taking So Long to Reach You
(February 11, 2021)
nature: Trust in COVID vaccines is growing
(February 10, 2021)
SciAm: Is It Safe to Delay a Second COVID Vaccine Dose?
(February 10, 2021)
STAT: Do the math: Vaccines alone won’t get us out of this pandemic
(February 10, 2021)
Fortune: It’s not just Johnson & Johnson: China has a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine that’s 65% effective
(February 9, 2021)
nature: Variant-proof vaccines — invest now for the next pandemic
(February 8, 2021)
Harvard Health Blog: COVID-19 vaccines: Safety, side effects – and coincidence
(February 8, 2021)
PopSci: Why South Africa stopped using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
(February 8, 2021)
MOVED OR REMOVED
NPR: Is It Ever OK To Jump Ahead In The Vaccine Line?
(February 6, 2021)
BBC: Is the Covid vaccine safe?
(February 5, 2021)
DW: Fact check: No links found between vaccination and deaths
(February 5, 2021)
- Updated on February 11, 2021
Science: ‘A question of choices.’ Pfizer vaccine leader on confronting new coronavirus variants
(February 3, 2021)
Science: ‘A question of choices.’ Pfizer vaccine leader on confronting new coronavirus variants
(February 3, 2021)
STAT: Comparing the Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson
(February 2, 2021)
Al Jazeera: Poland decides against giving elderly AstraZeneca vaccine
(February 2, 2021)
rown University: The COVID Pod with Dr. Ashish Jha: Vaccinating the Nation, Two Doses at a Time
(January 29, 2021)
Science: How do the leading COVID-19 vaccines work? Science explains
(January 29, 2021)
STAT: J&J one-dose Covid vaccine is 66% effective, a weapon but not a knockout punch
(January 29, 2021)
nature: Novavax offers first evidence that COVID vaccines protect people against variants
(January 29, 2021)
nature: How to redesign COVID vaccines so they protect against variants
(January 29, 2021)
STAT: Novavax says its Covid-19 vaccine is 90% effective, but far less so against one variant
(January 28, 2021)
PopSci: There’s a new COVID-19 vaccine in the running—but variants could pose a problem
(January 28, 2021)
STAT: Those Covid-19 variants? ‘Don’t worry yet,’ vaccine expert says
(January 27, 2021)
Science: Vaccine 2.0: Moderna and other companies plan tweaks that would protect against new coronavirus mutations
(January 26, 2021)
STAT: In a major setback, Merck to stop developing its two Covid-19 vaccines and focus on therapies
(January 25, 2021)
STAT: Moderna’s vaccine is less potent against one coronavirus variant but still protective, company says
(January 25, 2021)
nature: Are COVID vaccination programmes working? Scientists seek first clues
(January 22, 2021)
STAT: CDC reports rare allergic reactions to Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine
(January 22, 2021)
STAT: Antibody-assisted vaccination will speed the path to protection
(January 21, 2021)
SciAm: The Second-Generation COVID Vaccines Are Coming
(January 20, 2021)
SciAm: Black Americans Are Getting COVID Vaccines at Lower Rates Than White Americans
(January 20, 2021)
CSM: For the French, distrust of vaccines predates COVID-19
(January 20, 2021)
SciAm: Vaccines Need Not Completely Stop COVID Transmission to Curb the Pandemic
(January 18, 2021)
Science: New coronavirus variants could cause more reinfections, require updated vaccines
(January 15, 2021)
- “Scientists worry mutations found in Brazil and South Africa could help SARS-CoV-2 evade human antibodies”
Doctor Mike: The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines ft. Dr. Seema Yasmin
(January 13, 2021)
nature: Could new COVID variants undermine vaccines? Labs scramble to find out
(January 7, 2021)
Reuters: Factbox – When and which COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be available in Asia
(January 7, 2021)
SciAm: The Best Evidence for How to Overcome COVID Vaccine Fears
(January 7, 2021)
Science: Debates intensify over dosing plans for authorized COVID-19 vaccines
(January 6, 2021)
Science: Scientists criticize ‘rushed’ approval of Indian COVID-19 vaccine without efficacy data
(January 5, 2021)
SciAm: New COVID Vaccines Need Absurd Amounts of Material and Labor
(January 5, 2021)
STAT: Decades of basic research paved the way for today’s ‘warp speed’ Covid-19 vaccines
(January 5, 2021)
Algemeiner: Israel Stuns Observers With Lightning-Fast COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
(January 1, 2021)
Science: ‘It’s crazy.’ Upbeat COVID-19 vaccine news from China and U.K. leaves scientists wanting more details (December 30, 2020)
STAT: Frustration over vaccine rollout builds, as new variant reported in U.S. for first time
(December 29, 2020)
STAT: Novavax launches pivotal U.S. trial of dark horse COVID-19 vaccine after manufacturing delays (December 28, 2020)
STAT: Covid-19 vaccines are safe. But let’s be clear about what ‘safe’ means
(December 23, 2020)
STAT: What to expect when you’re injected: Vaccine side effects explained (VIDEO)
(December 22, 2020)
Science: Makers of successful COVID-19 vaccines wrestle with options for placebo recipients (December 22, 2020)
STAT: Beware the danger of ‘vaccine euphoria’ (December 22, 2020)
SciAm: Moderna COVID Vaccine Becomes Second to Get U.S. Authorization
(December 21, 2020)
Science: Suspicions grow that nanoparticles in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trigger rare allergic reactions (December 21, 2020)
STAT: 3 lessons from Stanford’s Covid-19 vaccine algorithm debacle (December 21, 2020)
STAT: A side-by-side comparison of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines
(December 19, 2020)
nature: Moderna COVID vaccine becomes second to get US authorization
(December 18, 2020)
STAT: Emergency use authorization of Covid-19 vaccines could hinder global access to them (December 18, 2020)
- “While these moves could be welcomed by people living in the U.K. and U.S., the emergency authorizations will have serious consequences for lower-income countries, creating a ripple effect that could deny them access to Covid-19 vaccines for months to come.”
PopSci: Here’s where all the COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently stand
(December 18, 2020)
SciAm: How to Expand Access to COVID Vaccines without Compromising the Science
(December 17, 2020)
STAT: Did the FDA understaff its review of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine?
(December 17, 2020)
PopSci: What you should know about allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine
(December 17, 2020)
Shareable Science: Vaccine Q&A Part 1 (December 14, 2020)
STAT: CDC says people with history of severe allergic reactions can get Covid-19 vaccine
(December 13, 2020)
nature: US authorization of first COVID vaccine marks new phase in safety monitoring
(December 11, 2020)
- “The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. Regulators are gearing up to look for side effects.”
- “Researchers at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, are designing a system to monitor residents of long-term care homes.”
STAT: Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine: the debate, details, and distribution (AUDIO)
(December 11, 2020)
NPR: FDA Adviser: Vaccine To Be OK’d In Days, But ‘Normal’ May Not Return Until Next Fall
(December 12, 2020)
Science: Development of unique Australian COVID-19 vaccine halted (December 11, 2020)
- A structure taken from the HIV virus adds stability by being attached to the SARS-CoV-2 spike of the vaccine. Unfortunately, this structure was found to cause the immune system to produce HIV antibodies, which interfere with the proper functioning of HIV tests.
Science: Great efficacy claimed for another COVID-19 vaccine, this one from China
(December 9, 2020)
nature: COVID research updates: A coronavirus vaccine shows lasting benefit
(December 8, 2020)
nature: Oxford COVID vaccine paper highlights lingering unknowns about results
(December 8, 2020)
AsapScience: What The COVID Vaccine Does To Your Body (the mRNA vaccine)
(December 8, 2020)
Science: ‘So many unknowns’: Local doctors—and pharmacies—will still decide who gets COVID-19 vaccines (December 7, 2020)
CAS: Meet the mRNA vaccine rookies aiming to take down COVID-19
(December 4, 2020)
SciAm: Who Will Get COVID Vaccines First and Who Will Have to Wait? (December 3, 2020)
nature: The UK has approved a COVID vaccine — here’s what scientists now want to know
(December 3, 2020)
STAT: The Covid-19 vaccines are a marvel of science. Here’s how we can make the best use of them (December 2, 2020)
STAT: How nanotechnology helps mRNA Covid-19 vaccines work (December 1, 2020)
- Lipid nanoparticles (“fatty” envelopes) carry the RNA nanoparticle to human cells.
STAT: Moderna to submit Covid-19 vaccine to FDA as full results show 94% efficacy
(November 30, 2020)
Science: ‘Absolutely remarkable’: No one who got Moderna’s vaccine in trial developed severe COVID-19 (November 30, 2020)
STAT: What the biopharma industry is doing to build confidence in Covid-19 vaccines
(November 25, 2020)
Science: After dosing mix-up, latest COVID-19 vaccine success comes with big question mark (November 25, 2020)
nature: The COVID vaccine challenges that lie ahead (November 24, 2020)
nature: Why emergency COVID-vaccine approvals pose a dilemma for scientists
(November 23, 2020)
nature: Why Oxford’s positive COVID vaccine results are puzzling scientists
(November 23, 2020)
- “Surprisingly, participants who received a lower amount of the vaccine in a first dose and then the full amount in the second dose were 90% less likely to develop COVID, compared with participants in the placebo arm.”
Science: Another COVID-19 vaccine success? Candidate may prevent further coronavirus transmission, too (November 23, 2020)
- “AstraZeneca/University of Oxford vaccine uses a chimpanzee virus to deliver coronavirus gene and had better efficacy, 90%, when given as a half dose followed by a full dose.”
STAT: AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is 70% effective on average, early data show
(November 23, 2020)
SciAm: Doing the Touchy Math on Who Should Get a COVID Vaccine First
(November 20, 2020)
STAT: Self-interest nudged me to join Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine trial. Here’s how it’s going (November 19, 2020)
Science: Fever, aches from Pfizer, Moderna jabs aren’t dangerous but may be intense for some (November 18, 2020)
Science: More people are getting COVID-19 twice, suggesting immunity wanes quickly in some (November 18, 2020)
STAT: Bill Gates worries about a ‘dysfunctional’ approach to Covid-19 vaccine distribution
(November 17, 2020)
CNN: Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective, according to company data
(November 16, 2020)
- Pfizer and Moderna have comparable results because they use the same mRNA technology.
BBC: Moderna: Covid vaccine shows nearly 95% protection (November 16, 2020)
- 94.5% effectiveness is calculated from the fact that only five of the participants who received the actual vaccine contracted Covid-19 compared to 90 who received the placebo.
nature: COVID vaccine excitement builds as Moderna reports third positive result
(November 16, 2020)
STAT: Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is strongly effective, early look at data show
(November 16, 2020)
Science: ‘Just beautiful’: Another COVID-19 vaccine, from newcomer Moderna, succeeds in large-scale trial (November 16, 2020)
SciAm: COVID Vaccine Excitement Builds as Moderna Reports Positive Result
(November 16, 2020)
STAT: Hopeful Covid-19 vaccine data won’t help hospitals that are overstretched now, experts say (November 16, 2020)
STAT: With strong data on two Covid-19 vaccines, we have more answers about the road ahead — and questions too (November 16, 2020)
SciAm: Pfizer’s Early Results Bode Well for a COVID Vaccine Approval This Year
(November 13, 2020)
UBS: Value rotation has further to run (November 12, 2020)
- UBS Chief Investment Office displays confidence that two vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna will soon start being distributed.
Science: Russia’s claim of a successful COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t pass the ‘smell test,’ critics say (November 11, 2020)
STAT: ‘We’re being left behind’: Rural hospitals can’t afford ultra-cold freezers to store the leading Covid-19 vaccine (November 11, 2020)
- Although the CDC has advised hospitals not to rush to buy expensive freezers that allow Pfizer’s vaccine to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius, stating that other vaccines are expected to become available soon that do not require storage at such a low temperature, more than 10% of the hospitals in the US appear to have purchased them.
nature: Russia announces positive COVID-vaccine results from controversial trial
(November 11, 2020)
- The announcement indicates 92% effectiveness in the “Sputnik V” phase 3 trial, but this figure is less reliable than for the Pfizer results, as it is based on only 20 participants contracting Covid-19 vs. 94 in the Pfizer trial. The Russian trial involves 40,000 participants and the Pfizer trial involves just under 44,000 participants.
STAT: The story of mRNA: How a once-dismissed idea became a leading technology in the Covid vaccine race (November 10, 2020)
STAT: How to spot good Covid-19 vaccine trials results when you see them
(November 10, 2020)
STAT: STAT-Harris Poll: Most Americans won’t get a Covid-19 vaccine unless it cuts risk by half (November 10, 2020)
PopSci: Pfizer claims its COVID-19 vaccine is 90 percent effective. Here’s what that actually means. (November 9, 2020)
- Phase 3 testing of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine candidate, which began in July, involves 44,000 participants, half of which received the vaccine candidate and the other half of which received a placebo. A total of 94 participants have so far tested positive for Covid-19. An independent group of researchers, the only group that knows how the vaccine and placebos were divided up between the participants, determined that the candidate has been at least 90 percent effective since July. However, this has been a relatively short time period to be able to determine long-range effects, and the number of participants who contracted Covid-19 is still too small for conclusive results. Pfizer plans to wait until at least 164 participants have tested positive for Covid-19 before seeking FDA approval, but it plans to request emergency use authorization later in November.
SciAm: Coronavirus Vaccine Is 90 Percent Effective in Large Trial, Pfizer Says
(November 9, 2020)
- “No serious safety concerns have arisen thus far.”
- “The trial’s data have not yet been submitted for peer-review publication.”
- The article contains an excellent flow chart describing the development process.
STAT: Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech is strongly effective, early data from large trial indicate (November 9, 2020)
- Experts had indicated earlier that vaccines might only end up being 60 or 70% effective.
- Pfizer is waiting until the third week of November to file for emergency use authorization in order to have observed all participants for safety issues for at least two full months since their second dose.
- “There is no information yet on whether the vaccine prevents severe cases, the type that can cause hospitalization and death.”
- There’s also no information yet as to whether or not this vaccine can prevent people from carrying and spreading the virus.
- Side effects, which include aches and fevers seem to be comparable to standard vaccines for adults.
- Only 50 million doses could be available worldwide by year’s end, and 1.3 billion in 2021.
- Vaccine must be stored at very low temperatures, making storage and shipments challenging.
Science: Champagne and questions greet first data showing that a COVID-19 vaccine works
(November 9, 2020)
- Nothing is known yet about “how long the immunity triggered by the vaccine will last, whether it can prevent severe COVID-19, and even whether it will slow transmission rates if it’s used widely in a population. It’s unclear how well it works in the elderly, who suffer the most from SARS-CoV-2.”
nature: What Pfizer’s landmark COVID vaccine results mean for the pandemic
(November 9, 2020)
nature: COVID vaccination logistics: five steps to take now (November 9, 2020)
Science: Will a small, long-shot U.S. company end up producing the best coronavirus vaccine? (November 3, 2020)
- Last year Novavax, a vaccine company in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was expected to go out of business, but it is now one of the seven promising companies that has received funding from Operation Warp Speed.
NCBI: Informed consent disclosure to vaccine trial subjects of risk of COVID‐19 vaccines worsening clinical disease (October 28, 2020)
STAT: mRNA vaccines face their first test in the fight against Covid-19. How do they work?
(VIDEO) (October 26, 2020)
Science: ‘There’s only one chance to do this right’—FDA panel wrestles with COVID-19 vaccine issues (October 23, 2020)
nature: Why decoding the immune response to COVID matters for vaccines
(October 21, 2020)
Atlantic: The Tree That Could Help Stop the Pandemic (October 21, 2020)
- The Chilean soapbark tree provides molecules for producing adjuvants that may increase the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines.
nature: Dozens to be deliberately infected with coronavirus in UK ‘human challenge’ trials
(October 20, 2020)
SciAm: America’s Last Line of Defense for a Safe Vaccine (October 19, 2020)
SciAm: Why So Many Americans Are Skeptical of a Coronavirus Vaccine (October 12, 2020)
nature: What China’s speedy COVID vaccine deployment means for the pandemic
(October 9, 2020)
STAT: 7 looming questions about the rollout of a Covid-19 vaccine (October 9, 2020)
SciAm: NIH ‘Very Concerned’ About Serious Side Effect in Coronavirus Vaccine Trial
(September 15, 2020)
STAT: STAT’s Helen Branswell answers your questions about Covid-19, reinfection, and vaccine efficacy (VIDEO) (September 14, 2020)
SciAm: Coronavirus Vaccine U.K. Trial Restarts, But Scientists Question Lack of Transparency
(September 14, 2020)
nature: China’s coronavirus vaccine shows military’s growing role in medical research
(September 11, 2020)
STAT: The ethics of pausing a vaccine trial in the midst of a pandemic: a conversation with Ruth Faden (September 11, 2020)
NatGeo: Dozens of COVID-19 vaccines are in development. Here are the ones to follow.
(September 9, 2020)
STAT: Believers need to be as prepared for a Covid-19 vaccine as anti-vaxxers are against it
(September 9, 2020)
BBC: Coronavirus: Oxford University vaccine trial paused after participant falls ill
(September 9, 2020)
STAT: Covid-19 vaccine trial participant had serious neurological symptoms, but could be discharged today, AstraZeneca CEO says (September 9, 2020)
Medscape: Paul Offit’s Biggest Concern About COVID Vaccines (September 9, 2020)
STAT: AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine study put on hold due to suspected adverse reaction in participant in the U.K. (September 8, 2020)
nature: Russia’s fast-track coronavirus vaccine draws outrage over safety (August 11, 2020)
Science: Russia’s approval of a COVID-19 vaccine is less than meets the press release
(August 11, 2020)
SciAm: Thousands Volunteer for COVID-19 Vaccine Study (August 7, 2020)
- Late-stage trials of two vaccine candidates began on July 27 to test for their effectiveness in reducing risk of Covid-19 infection. Earlier trials had demonstrated that they were safe and caused antibodies to develop in the body.
- 60,000 volunteers will each receive up to 2000 USD for completing a two-year trial.
nature: China’s coronavirus vaccines are leaping ahead – but face challenges as virus wanes (July 31, 2020)
STAT: A Covid-19 vaccine, amazingly, is close. Why am I so worried? (Opinion)
(July 31, 2020)
STAT: ‘A huge experiment’: How the world made so much progress on a Covid-19 vaccine so fast (July 30, 2020)
MIT Technology Review: Some scientists are taking a DIY coronavirus vaccine, and nobody knows if it’s legal or if it works (July 29, 2020)
STAT: Covid-19 vaccines may cause mild side effects, experts say, stressing need for education, not alarm (July 27, 2020)
STAT: Science alone cannot beat the pandemic. We also need outreach about a Covid-19 vaccine (Opinion) (July 27, 2020)
SciAm: Civil War Vaccine May Have Lessons for COVID-19 (Audio) (July 21, 2020)
Forbes: Why You Should Trust The Coronavirus Vaccine (July 20, 2020)
Science: Controversial ‘human challenge’ trials for COVID-19 vaccines gain support
(July 20, 2020)
CNN: Moderna coronavirus vaccine shows ‘promising’ safety and immune response results in published Phase 1 study, but more research is needed (July 15, 2020)
STAT: First data for Moderna Covid-19 vaccine show it spurs an immune response
(July 14, 2020)
STAT: The first round of Covid-19 vaccines is ‘highly unlikely to be a magic bullet,’ Medicago CEO says (July 9, 2020)
PopSci: Inside the race to develop a safe COVID-19 vaccine
(July 3, 2020)
STAT: Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech shows positive results (July 1, 2020)
SciAm: The Risks of Rushing a COVID-19 Vaccine (June 22, 2020)
PopSci: Scientists are working on at least 135 different coronavirus vaccines
(June 15, 2020)
- 125 vaccine candidates are in Phase 1 trials
- 2 vaccine candidates are in Phase 3 trials (large-scale testing on people)
- One of these, “developed by Oxford University, could potentially be ready by autumn 2020.”
STAT: Sinovac says early data show its Covid-19 vaccine generated immune responses
(June 14, 2020)
- Beijing-based Sinovac’s vaccine, called CoronaVac, “induced neutralizing antibodies in ‘above 90%’ of people who were tested 14 days after receiving two injections, two weeks apart. There were no severe side effects reported, the company said in a statement”. “The preliminary results were from a 600-patient, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study.”
nature: Coronavirus research updates: Modified mice could aid the quest for vaccines and drugs (June 12, 2020)
- A team in the US and one in China have successfully used an adenovirus to introduce the gene that expresses the human ACE2 receptor into mice, which normally cannot catch Covid-19. This allows them to become infected so they can be used for laboratory experiments.
Science: ‘It’s really complicated.’ United States and others wrestle with putting COVID-19 vaccines to the test (June 12, 2020)
- A discussion of the challenges expected in clinical trials of vaccine candidates.
nature: Latin American scientists join the coronavirus vaccine race: ‘No one’s coming to rescue us’ (June 12, 2020)
STAT: Immunity to the coronavirus remains a mystery. Scientists are trying to crack the case
(June 11, 2020)
- Experts expect that those who have recovered from Covid-19 have immunity at some level for some period of time. However, they don’t know what the “correlates of protection” are (markers such as antibodies and cells) that will provide that protection.
- A search for these correlates can happen at the same time as vaccine development, as the latter can be done experimentally.
- After vaccines are in use, correlates can be tracked in the body in order to determine when another dose might become necessary.
STAT: Merck’s Julie Gerberding, a ‘vaccine optimist,’ on Covid-19 and what comes next
(VIDEO) (June 9, 2020)
SciAm: Genetic Engineering Could Make a COVID-19 Vaccine in Months Rather Than Years
(June 1, 2020)
- “The established approach is to grow weakened viruses in chicken eggs—or more recently in mammalian or insect cells—and extract the desired pieces.” This would be too slow for the current crisis.
- Almost all vaccine development focuses on introducing genetic material into the human body that would lead to creating antigens (that are at least part of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein) in human cells by one of three different ways:
- 1) Injecting a DNA ring-shaped plasmid.
- Not easy to be scaled up to manufacture many vaccines.
- 2) Injecting RNA.
- Less stable, easy to degrade, and must be kept refrigerated or frozen.
- Not easy to be scaled up to manufacture many vaccines.
- 3) Injecting an adenovirus (one of the common cold viruses) with engineered DNA.
- Virus can be engineered not to replicate.
- Easy to be scaled up to manufacture many vaccines, but can take longer to develop.
- 1) Injecting a DNA ring-shaped plasmid.
Science: Operation Warp Speed selects billionaire scientist’s COVID-19 vaccine for monkey tests
- The vaccine uses an adenovirus (one kind of common cold virus) engineered to carry two SARS-CoV-2 genes. Each gene will produce a structural SARS-CoV-2 protein in a human host cell. One is of the spike and another of the capsid. These proteins are expected to elicit antibodies.
PopSci: Why only half of Americans say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine
- Results of a survey are shown.
SciAm: COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Search for Antibodies That ‘First Do No Harm’
(May 28, 2020)
STAT: How researchers will study Covid-19 vaccines (VIDEO) (May 27, 2020)
STAT: He experienced a severe reaction to Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate. He’s still a believer (May 26, 2020)
- Ian Haydon, 29, a Seattle resident was one of four trial volunteers (out of a total of 45) who experienced “Grade 3” adverse events in Moderna’s candidate vaccine trial. “Grade 3” refers to “side effects that are severe or medically significant but not immediately life-threatening”. Three of them, including Haydon, received the highest dose and experienced a systemic reaction. Haydon had a fever of over 103 °F (about 39.5 °C) and later fainted.
- “The goal of studies is to establish a threshold at which something might go wrong.” Safety standards for vaccines must be higher than for drugs because they are given to healthy people.
nature: Coronavirus research updates: DNA vaccines protect monkeys from coronavirus
(May 22, 2020)
- A team at Harvard Medical School tested six DNA vaccines they developed on rhesus macaques (monkeys). Their DNA instructs cells to create protein antigens based on the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. This elicited (produced) an antibody response. After these animals were then infected with the virus, their illness was less severe (with a lower viral load) than that of the unvaccinated (control) group.
PopSci: People who’ve had COVID-19 show promising disease-fighting cells in their blood
(May 20, 2020)
- It is not yet certain that survivors of Covid-19 acquire long-lasting immunity, but one study gives us some evidence that they do, by discovering T cells, one kind of immune cell, in individuals with a mild case. These were seen to fight fragments of the virus in an expected manner.
- All 20 adults tested had one kind of T cell (“helper T cells“) and 70% had another kind (“killer T cells“).
- Moreover, they found “helper” T cells from half of a set of blood samples from 2015 to 2018 that also reacted to SARS-Cov-2 fragments, most likely from previous coronavirus infections causing the common cold.
nature: Coronavirus research updates: An antibody blocks the new coronavirus and an older relative (May 19, 2020)
- An antibody (an immune signaling molecule) from a person who survived SARS has just been found to prevent today’s SARS-CoV-2 virus from infecting a human cell.
- It attaches to a different location on the spike than other kinds of antibodies. A cocktail (combination) of different antibodies appears to improve their effect.
STAT: Vaccine experts say Moderna didn’t produce data critical to assessing Covid-19 vaccine (May 19, 2020)
- This article criticizes US drug maker Moderna of not providing important data in their press release two days ago describing optimistic results of the Phase I trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate. (See yesterday’s article below, also by STAT.)
- Moderna’s stock price rose sharply following their report, but several scientists criticized that this is not the way science is usually done. Results of any experiment or trial are supposed to be accompanied by data. Phase I is a short trial, it’s only the beginning of the long process towards an approved vaccine, lab tests were only completed on eight of the 45 participants, the remaining 37 participants might show different results and other experts need to see data because there’s always the chance that scientific results can be interpreted in other ways.
- It is also interesting that Moderna has obtained considerable US government money and is collaborating with the NIAID (headed by Dr. Fauci), yet there has been no report about this from them.
- The wording was also vague concerning how many antibodies were produced in the body as it was compared with those found in convalescent patients, who are known to have widely varying amounts of the antibody.
- There are still many open questions, for example whether or not these antibodies will last long enough in human bodies for the vaccine to be practical.
I can believe it is quite understandable that science cannot advance in an ideal way during a crisis. On the one hand scientific results need to be analyzed carefully, but on the other hand it is trying to advance as quickly as possible. It can be argued that the company’s motivation was to impress its stockholders rather than do its best to advance science. A very similar thing happened at the end of April with Gilead, where they provided results without data. Hopefully all scientists in both companies were honest in their interpretation of the results, but there is always the possibility of deceiving when data is withheld. – MH
STAT: Early data show Moderna Covid-19 vaccine generates immune response
(May 18, 2020)
- US drug maker Moderna is conducting the Phase I trial for its vaccine candidate. Early results show that it produces neutralizing antibodies. The production of antibodies from combined low and middle doses in eight of the participants appears to be comparable to that “generally” produced by the virus. Safety results were also promising.
Science: T cells found in COVID-19 patients ‘bode well’ for long-term immunity
(May 14, 2020)
- Two studies show people infected with Covid-19 have T cells (specific immune cells) that react to the virus and may help their recovery. They also found some people that never had Covid-19 but have these T cells, most likely because they had in the past been infected with other coronaviruses [for example with colds].
- Killer T cells “kill” infected cells. “The severity of disease can depend on the strength of these T cell responses.”
- “Before these studies, researchers didn’t know whether T cells played a role in eliminating SARS-CoV-2, or even whether they could provoke a dangerous immune system overreaction.”
nature: Coronavirus research updates: A strong antibody response is common in people who’ve recovered (May 7, 2020)
- “Nearly everyone who recovers from COVID-19 makes antibodies against the new coronavirus, according to a study of more than 1,300 people who had symptoms of the disease.”
- This suggests “that they are immune from reinfection,” however “for an unknown length of time.”
Shareable Science: Treatments and Vaccines (VIDEO) (May 6, 2020)
May 5, 2020
Israeli scientists discover monoclonal antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2
(May 5, 2020)
- “Israel … has been successful in ‘flattening the curve.'”
- “Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-produced molecules engineered to serve as substitute antibodies that can restore, enhance, or mimic the immune system’s attack …”
- To neutralize means to prevent a virus from attaching to and infecting a cell. Antibodies attach to the virus in such a way that it can’t attach to a cell.
STAT: Antibodies, immunity, and what they mean for Covid-19, explained (VIDEO)
(May 5, 2020)
PopSci: Oxford University’s timeline for a COVID-19 vaccine is shorter than previous estimates (May 4, 2020)
Nature: The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide (April 28, 2020)
NYT: In Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine, an Oxford Group Leaps Ahead (April 27, 2020)
- “As scientists at the Jenner Institute prepare for mass clinical trials, new tests show their vaccine to be effective in monkeys.”
- “[W]ith an emergency approval from regulators, the first few million doses of their vaccine could be available by September … if it proves to be effective.”
Oxford… : Oxford COVID-19 vaccine begins human trial stage (April 24, 2020)
COVID-19 vaccine protects monkeys from new coronavirus, Chinese biotech reports (April 23, 2020)
STAT: Everything we know about coronavirus immunity and antibodies — and plenty we still don’t (April 20, 2020)
An Early Look at Vaccines for COVID-19 (April 14, 2020)
SciAm: What Immunity to COVID-19 Really Means (April 10, 2020)
nature: The COVID-19 vaccine development landscape (April 9, 2020)
Inovio begins first human test of experimental coronavirus vaccine (April 7, 2020)
- There are several different types of vaccines being developed by different companies at the same time. This one contains DNA.
DW: The Race for Vaccines VIDEO (April 6, 2020)
Speed coronavirus vaccine testing by deliberately infecting volunteers? Not so fast, some scientists warn (March 31, 2020)
- Testing by infecting volunteers with a weakened virus would be a way to accelerate the development even further, but we need to think this through carefully.
Volunteers in Seattle get first doses of trial vaccine for COVID-19 (March 17, 2020)
- See photos of them here. We should be thankful for their volunteering!
Coronavirus: US volunteers test first vaccine (March 17, 2020)
- Note that animal testing for safety, which is normally done, was not done. This is one way that the development of a vaccine is being accelerated. This vaccine candidate includes genetic material known as mRNA that contains instructions for cells to create molecules that will hopefully suppress the virus.