Covid-19: When will a vaccine be ready?

Synopsis

Teams of scientists around the world are racing to develop a vaccine to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of volunteers participate in trials for a new vaccine against the coronavirus. Russia claims to have already won the race for a vaccine, but the challenge of finding a vaccine is just the beginning. Ethical questions arise regarding the fair deployment of any successful vaccine. Experts discuss the uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of various vaccines in different populations, noting that some may work better for the elderly or in preventing transmission. The timeline for global vaccination could take a couple of years, even if a successful vaccine is available soon, due to limited manufacturing capacity. Estimates suggest that only about two billion doses may be available by the end of 2021, which is insufficient to cover the entire world, especially considering that some individuals may require more than one dose.