Coronavirus vaccine: How close are we to a treatment for COVID-19?

12 March 2020, 10:39

What are the COVID-19 vaccine updates? And how long does it take to make a vaccine? Here’s everything you need to know about the coronavirus treatment.

Coronavirus has now caused Italy to go into lockdown, Donald Trump to cancel all European flights into the country and there are now around 60 countries affected by COVID-19 - so how close are we to a vaccine?

Scientists and researchers are thought to be in the early testing stages of a vaccine - but how long will it take for us to find a coronavirus treatment that works?

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Here's everything you need to know from how long it takes to make a vaccine for coronavirus:

When will there be a coronavirus vaccine?

It’s reported that researchers have developed a vaccine which they are starting to test on animals. If successful, they will then trial it on humans later in the year.

How long does it take to make a vaccine?

Sadly, even if a successful vaccine is made, it can take a long time for it to be rolled out and given to the public.

Following the success of human trials, the vaccine would then need to be mass produced, all while the virus is continuing to spread and potentially mutate. It could be mid 2021 before we see a successful vaccine.

How do you make a vaccine?

Vaccines are created by using a weakened version of viruses and injecting them into the body so they can learn how to fight it without catching a full virus.

This means if the body is ever exposed to it for real, it already knows how to fight it.