We need a new COVID vaccine now: Expert as virus cases surge
With every mutation, COVID virus is getting much fitter and eventually, the vaccines that are in use now might become less effective over time, expert said
Amid the recent COVID surge, triggered by the XBB.1.16 variant, there is discussion around the need for booster doses. Though many experts are of the view that a fourth dose could considerably reduce the chances of severe infection, others are sceptical about its safety and efficacy as more fitter COVID variants have emerged. Considering all these facts, many are of the view that it is high time to start thinking about a ‘next-gneration’ vaccine.
Why do we need a new vaccine now?
World Health Organisation ( WHO) has pointed out that currently, there are over 500 variant Omicron variants circulating worldwide and, with every mutation, the coronavirus is getting much fitter.
So, there is a high chance that the vaccines that are in use now might become less effective over time. This could be especially problematic if a new variant emerges that is much more transmissible or deadly than the current ones.
“Of course, the Omicron variants are not causing severe infections but what if, Delta is still lurking somewhere and a new sublineage mutates from it,” said Prof. Kiran Kondabagil, Chief Scientific Mentor, HaystackAnalytics and Professor, Department of Biosciences and Bio-engineering, IIT Bombay
At the same time, making a second-generation vaccine is a challenge considering the sheer number of variants that are now circulating around the world, acknowledges Kondabagil.
“When the first vaccines were developed in 2019, there was only one strain of the virus to worry about. Now, there are many different variants, each with its own unique characteristics.”
So what should be the approach for developing new vaccines now?
One possible approach to developing a second-generation vaccine is to take a cue from the way flu vaccines are made. Every year, researchers study the flu strains that were most prevalent during the previous flu season and use that information to create a new vaccine for the coming year. A similar approach could be used for COVID-19, with scientists focusing on the variants that are most common in a given region or time period.
Another approach is to focus on creating a universal vaccine that would be effective against all known variants of the virus. This would be a much more ambitious goal, but some researchers believe it is possible. One strategy for creating a universal vaccine is to identify common antigens that are present in all strains of the virus and use those to develop a vaccine that would be effective against all of them.
There are also other factors to consider when developing a second-generation vaccine. For example, the vaccine will need to be safe and effective, of course, but it will also need to be easy to produce and distribute. It will need to be affordable so that people around the world can access it, and it will need to be able to protect against new variants of the virus as they emerge.
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First Published:22 Apr 2023, 05:15 PM IST
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