The most important humanitarian legacy in 2021.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine brings hope that we can return to normal life in the UK this year thanks to Britain’s ingenuity and work in developing it, since it can be produced and distributed much more easily than mRNA vaccines. The wealthy countries of the world could very easily afford to produce enough doses for the whole world if needed; let us hope that they will do so to bring this pandemic to an end globally, not just in countries that can afford vaccination. Doing so would also reduce the chances the virus has to mutate in such a way as to make the vaccine ineffective, so it would protect all of us. Now scientists are testing whether taking one dose each of two different vaccines against Covid may be even more effective. This has worked in the past with some other diseases. Hopefully the diversity of different techniques in vaccine development around the world will allow us to discover even more effective ways to protect people, including against new variants.
Written by Christopher McGarry, Voices from Oxford Collaborator
Photo: Director of Voices from Oxford (VOX), Dr Sung Hee Kim, vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine by her GP.
