Can we create a universal Covid vaccine?
Can scientists develop a vaccine against coronaviruses and variants we know about, and the ones we have yet to meet?
Can scientists develop a vaccine which can combat the coronavirus and all its variants? There have been three lethal outbreaks caused by coronaviruses this century: SARS in 2002, MERS in 2012 and now SarsCov2. Scientists predict we will eventually encounter SarsCov3. That鈥檚 why the race is on to develop a universal vaccine to combat the coronaviruses and variants we know about, and the ones we have yet to confront. But attempts to create a universal vaccine for viruses such as influenza and HIV have been going on for decades - without success.
Before 2020, proposals to create a vaccine against coronaviruses were not thought important enough to pursue since many just cause the common cold. Now that we understand their real threat, can scientists succeed in creating a vaccine to fight this large family of viruses,?
Produced and presented by Sandra Kanthal
Editor: Emma Close
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Jacqui Johnson
Sound: James Beard and Rod Farquhar
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Mon 31 Jan 2022 20:30成人快手 Radio 4
- Sun 6 Feb 2022 21:30成人快手 Radio 4
Podcast
-
Analysis
Programme examining the ideas and forces which shape public policy in Britain and abroad.