Developing Coronavirus Vaccine with 98 Percent Protection Rate Could Be Impossible, Says Fauci

Scientists believe that a vaccine that offers 75 percent protection rate could be enough to stop the drastic spread of coronavirus

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As the entire healthcare sector is busy developing an effective vaccine for coronavirus, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has claimed that it is literally impossible to develop a vaccine that offers protection rate of 98 percent and more.

Slim Chances of Developing Highly Effective Coronavirus Vaccine

According to Fauci, who is also member of White House Coronavirus Task Force, scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine that is at least 75 percent effective in protecting people against the pathogen. He also added that 50 to 60 percent protection is acceptable too considering the speed in which the virus is spreading all across the globe.

Fauci made these remarks while talking at a Q and A session with the Brown University School of Public Health. "You've got to think of the vaccine as a tool to be able to get the pandemic to no longer be a pandemic, but to be something that's well-controlled," said Fauci.

A few days back, Fauci had remarked that the coronavirus outbreak that is currently ravaging across the United States is a perfect storm with no end in near sight. However, he made it clear that good vaccines and effective social distancing measures are capable to control the spread of the pandemic.

The Necessity of Annual Immune Boosters

A few days back, Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading the second phase of vaccine clinical trials at Imperial College had claimed that coronavirus could stay with humans for decades even after the development of an effective vaccine. According to Shattock, coronavirus could live among humans just like seasonal flu, and people would have to take immune boosters to protect themselves from the pathogen.

In the meantime, coronavirus mutation is another major factor that is worrying experts. Several previous studies had found that COVID-19 has mutated to several strains, and as a result, medical science will find it practically impossible to develop an overall cure for the virus.

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