EDITORIAL: Transparency needed in securing a vaccine

[JacksinPA]

Transparency needed in securing a vaccine | South China Morning Post

While the Hong Kong government has announced a procurement strategy, the paucity of details raises questions as to whether enough is being done

The world over, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken lives and devastated livelihoods, businesses and industries. An effective and safe vaccine is the best hope of ensuring a return of normalcy, but that depends on whether one can be developed and quickly manufactured and distributed. China is at the forefront and Hong Kong has significant medical and financial resources, so residents expect the government to ensure early access. While officials have announced a procurement strategy, the paucity of details raises questions as to whether enough is being done.

Hong Kong in global race for Covid-19 vaccine, residents urged to join test scheme
22 Aug 2020

Health Secretary Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee last week said resources had been reserved to procure vaccines from companies that had potential and that help was also being sought from Beijing. The government had also joined the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility, in part led by the World Health Organisation, in effect an insurance policy to ensure supply should other efforts not bear fruit. Although work is under way on more than 150 vaccines around the world and just seven are in the final stage of testing, there is no certainty that any will prove effective. Of them, four have Chinese connections and three of these are involved in overseas trials.

There is a race by research facilities and scientists to be the first to create a trustworthy vaccine and development, approval and production time frames have been sped up from the usual 10 to 20 years to ensure availability in the next 12 to 18 months. Governments, the United States by far the most aggressive, have already struck advance-purchase agreements with pharmaceutical companies to improve the odds and guarantee supplies. The deals are often in the billions of dollars and are in effect investments that could pay off or turn sour. While the world urgently needs a vaccine, it is still guesswork whether any will meet standards and requirements.
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Twelve to 18 months sounds like Trump will miss his Nov 1 target but a 9 month window for developing & testing a new vaccine is unrealistically short.

 

[chuckiechan]

Transparency needed in securing a vaccine | South China Morning Post

While the Hong Kong government has announced a procurement strategy, the paucity of details raises questions as to whether enough is being done

The world over, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken lives and devastated livelihoods, businesses and industries. An effective and safe vaccine is the best hope of ensuring a return of normalcy, but that depends on whether one can be developed and quickly manufactured and distributed. China is at the forefront and Hong Kong has significant medical and financial resources, so residents expect the government to ensure early access. While officials have announced a procurement strategy, the paucity of details raises questions as to whether enough is being done.

Hong Kong in global race for Covid-19 vaccine, residents urged to join test scheme
22 Aug 2020

Health Secretary Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee last week said resources had been reserved to procure vaccines from companies that had potential and that help was also being sought from Beijing. The government had also joined the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility, in part led by the World Health Organisation, in effect an insurance policy to ensure supply should other efforts not bear fruit. Although work is under way on more than 150 vaccines around the world and just seven are in the final stage of testing, there is no certainty that any will prove effective. Of them, four have Chinese connections and three of these are involved in overseas trials.

There is a race by research facilities and scientists to be the first to create a trustworthy vaccine and development, approval and production time frames have been sped up from the usual 10 to 20 years to ensure availability in the next 12 to 18 months. Governments, the United States by far the most aggressive, have already struck advance-purchase agreements with pharmaceutical companies to improve the odds and guarantee supplies. The deals are often in the billions of dollars and are in effect investments that could pay off or turn sour. While the world urgently needs a vaccine, it is still guesswork whether any will meet standards and requirements.
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Twelve to 18 months sounds like Trump will miss his Nov 1 target but a 9 month window for developing & testing a new vaccine is unrealistically short.

China can test without the threat of wrongful death lawsuits, so there is that. I would not be surprised if China was first, since it “birthed” out of their world. They were probably working on vaccines for their bio weapons.

 

[JacksinPA]

China can test without the threat of wrongful death lawsuits, so there is that. I would not be surprised if China was first, since it “birthed” out of their world. They were probably working on vaccines for their bio weapons.

Using a virus like this a a bioweapon has the automatic threat of turning around & biting you where it really hurts. These are somewhat omnidirectional weapons, IOW non-discriminatory.

 

[Oborosen]

China can test without the threat of wrongful death lawsuits, so there is that. I would not be surprised if China was first, since it “birthed” out of their world. They were probably working on vaccines for their bio weapons.

Nothing like stuffing someone full of untested, highly questionable and extremely powerful medications. Just to see what falls out of place.