Scientists addressed vaccine safety, success rate and access to global R&D forum  

Over 2,800 scientists from 130 countries appeared on 15th of January in a virtual forum organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine the knowledge gaps and to set research parameters for vaccines against this COVID-19 virus.  

During the forum they discussed the safety and success rate of existing vaccines to the new candidates, ways to optimize limited supply, and requirements of additional safety studies.  

The development and approval of several safe and effective vaccination in less than a year was managed is an outstanding scientific facility” said WHO Director-General, in his initial remarks. Approval to first few vaccines doesn’t mean the job is done. There are more vaccines in the pipeline which will be tested to make sure enough doses to vaccinate everyone is available.  

Over 30 million vaccine have already been regulated in 47 of the higher economy countries and still the global vaccine rollout is exposing some glaring inequalities to access this life-saving tool.  

Spirit of collaboration that has to be prevailed in these challenging situations as we try to analyze this virus, as stated by Director of the Africa Centers for Control of disease and Prevention. People should be careful about the inequalities, and we must consciously promote investment capacities in different regions to level up the playing field and have significant collaboration to begin and address some of these challenges.  

Healthcare experts agreed that there is a need for critical research on regulating vaccines in different regions, as well as on the delivery schedule and strategies. This also includes modelling and observational studies and trials, all of which would help in maintaining the policy.  

They also focused on the impact of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 on the effectiveness and impact of vaccines on infection, and the necessity to develop a next stage of vaccine platforms.  

World will need multiple vaccines that can work in different populations to meet global demand and reduction of this ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. There will be a single-dose vaccination system with no cold chain requirement, can be delivered easily without a needle or syringe and are also compliant to large-scale manufacture, as told by Director of the Center for Vaccine Development Mr. Mike Levine.  

Meeting concluded with an agreement to establish a WHO based platform for global distribution and coordination of newly emerged vaccine and research information on effectiveness and safety. Forum would also enable the scientists to discuss and share their unpublished, published data and research protocols to further understand these SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.  

WHO will convene these experts regularly from around the world, encourage research, provide basic protocols and start a platform to share the latest knowledge required in the field as told by WHO Chief Scientist.