A team of Israeli scientists has almost finished developing a covid vaccine

Scientists from Israel claim that they will be able to provide a vaccine for COVID-19 in the next few weeks. This new vaccine was developed over four years by examining a virus found in poultry. Scientists consider the virus to have similarities with the coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 outbreak.

The unavailability of a vaccine is one of the factors that makes COVID-19 seem so frightening. On the other hand, vaccine development needs to go through a lot of research and takes a lot of time and money. The vaccine found by scientists in Israel seems to be a breath of fresh air in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

What is the vaccine like and can Indonesia get it quickly?

The origins of the COVID-19 vaccine from Israel

The team of scientists who developed the COVID-19 vaccine came from the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, Israel. This finding began when they were researching Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) about four years ago. IBV is a coronavirus that causes disease in the respiratory tract of birds.

Their research was initially aimed at developing a vaccine to prevent IBV infection. The vaccine they found was then tested at the Volcani Institute, Israel, and proved effective in dealing with the disease caused by IBV infection in poultry.

The creation of the IBV vaccine unexpectedly also produced a byproduct. After being researched, the team of scientists from Israel concluded that the by-products they found had the potential to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

According to the research report, the genetic makeup of IBV in poultry is very similar to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Both viruses also use the same mechanism when attacking cells in their host body. Thus, the IBV vaccine may also be used to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

The team of scientists then changed the genetic makeup of the IBV vaccine to match the coronavirus strain that causes COVID-19. Currently, they are awaiting approval to carry out in-vivo tests on live animals.

If testing is successful, they will continue with vaccine production and distribution. Israel's Minister of Science and Technology, Ofir Akunis, announced that the entire production process for the COVID-19 vaccine may take 8-10 weeks.

The final product of the COVID-19 vaccine is planned to be in the form of an oral vaccine that is taken directly. This is so that the general public can easily obtain and consume vaccines.

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Will the COVID-19 vaccine be easily obtained?

On the same occasion, Akunis also stated that the production process until the vaccine safety approval will last for 90 days. This period is much faster than the previous estimate of 18 months.

Nevertheless, infectious disease experts in Australia also warned of the obstacles scientists in Israel might face while developing a vaccine for COVID-19. Their biggest obstacle is the length of time it takes to carry out animal and human trials for vaccines to obtain safety approval.

Therefore, scientists researching the COVID-19 vaccine are now looking for potential partners to accelerate human trials. They will also assist in completing the development of the final product as well as the rules that will apply.

Even though the COVID-19 vaccine has been produced by scientists in Israel, Indonesia seems to need to be patient. The reason is, the distribution of vaccines is not easy and short, especially considering the number of countries affected by this outbreak.

Is a vaccine the only way to deal with COVID-19?

Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, confirmed that it is possible to manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine from the avian coronavirus. He is even quite sure that vaccine development can go further.

However, he also mentioned that the world cannot fully expect the COVID-19 vaccine that is now being developed in Israel. Vaccines can indeed prevent the transmission of COVID-19, but their role may not be that big in ending this outbreak.

In addition, even vaccines that have been developed still need to be studied and investigated further. Brenda Hogue, an expert professor of immune and viral therapy at Arizona State University, said that vaccine development generally takes two years.

The best step that can be done now is to promote prevention efforts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends always washing hands with soap, limiting close contact with people who are sick, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.