Oxford's Covid Vaccine Front-Runner Is Months Ahead of Her Competition

bloomberg.com

4 pointsmherrmann2 comments

The problem with this first across wins race is that if regulators accept accept a vaccine with low efficacy, then it probably prevents the development of a vaccine with higher efficacy.

The 50 percent effective goal WHO and others give is very low. It's not enough to provide herd immunity.

The goal is not to immunize, but to prevent hospitalizations (at least their goal according to the article). If this infection is downgraded to a cold level that doesn't damage the lungs, would that be a problem?

That said, I'm not sure other vaccines will be dropped. If any of the other candidates can give sterilizing immunity, that would be preferred.

The "race" is just to avoid shutting down the whole world again, and many governments are afraid of an uptick of cases in the winter.

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