The scientific quest for a universal coronavirus vaccine received a boost Wednesday, as three top federal researchers, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, outlined a path to develop new vaccines that could tackle a variety of ailments including Covid-19, some common colds and future viruses.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Fauci and two colleagues said the virus that causes Covid-19 is unlikely to be eliminated, and current vaccines are too limited to prevent the emergence of new variants. Other coronaviruses are also likely to spill over from animals to become future pandemic threats, they wrote.
To overcome these problems, the authors argue the research world should “fully commit” to developing a “second-generation” of coronavirus vaccines that would provide broad protection across the genetic spectrum of coronaviruses. They suggest forming an international effort to collect animal coronavirus samples worldwide and developing ethical challenge trials for coronaviruses, among other measures.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/fauci-pushes-universal-coronavirus-vaccine-rcna8877