The White House is eyeing universal and nasal vaccines for the next generation of coronavirus vaccines
Biden Administration Wants New Vaccines That Protect Against COVID-19 Infection from Multiple Variants
Washington, The Gulf Observer: The Biden administration on Tuesday hosted a summit on the future of coronavirus shots where they laid out a lofty goal: a vaccine that can take on multiple variants and protect against infection.
The current vaccines are “terrific” and “life-saving,” according to White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha. Though they still protect against severe disease, more is needed, he said.
“We need vaccines that are durable,” Jha said. “We need vaccines that are broader and offer longer-lasting protection. We need a vaccine that can stand up to multiple variants. Ultimately, we need vaccines that can protect us no matter what Mother Nature throws at us.”
Those goals obviously set the bar for the next generation of vaccines “extremely high,” Jha said.
Leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said that two next generation vaccines to focus on are a pan-coronavirus vaccine, or a universal vaccine, and a mucosal vaccine, or a nasal vaccine.
The U.S. government, however, wouldn’t develop the vaccines.
“Our job is not to develop a vaccine,” Fauci said. “We are not a vaccine production company. Our job is to facilitate by providing our scientists – brilliant scientists, many of whom are in this room right now – with the capability and the support to pursue scientific leads.”
Fauci said that the job can’t get done without the private industry. Representatives from Pfizer and Moderna participated in the summit.
But it’s unclear where the government might get the funds to assist with vaccine development considering Congress has been unwilling to authorize additional COVID-19 funding.
Meanwhile, the number of Americans who would be interested in such vaccines could be underwhelming. Less than a third of people ages 50 and older who are eligible for a second coronavirus booster shot have gotten one, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials say that while it’s a tall order, figuring out the next generation of shots could be key to ending the pandemic.
“While the vaccines are terrific, hundreds of Americans, thousands of people around the world are still dying every day,” Jha said. “And while there’s a lot we can do to continue to work on that and prevent that, building a higher, sort of a new generation of vaccines will make an enormous difference in bringing this pandemic to an end.”
