With coronavirus cases around the world now at over 10.2 million, scientists have been working around the clock to develop a vaccine.
A vaccine is likely only a matter of months away, but now one expert has warned that the virus may never be eradicated, thanks to anti-vaxxers.
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that the US may never achieve heard immunity for Covid-19, due to some people refusing a vaccine.
Speaking to CNN, he said: “The best we’ve ever done is measles, which is 97 to 98 percent effective. That would be wonderful if we get there. I don’t think we will. I would settle for [a] 70, 75 percent effective vaccine.”
According to a recent CNN poll, a third of Americans said they would not try to get a vaccine, regardless of its price.
Dr Fauci said: “There is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country — an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking.
“We have a lot of work to do. It’s not going to be easy. Anyone [who] thinks it will be easy is not facing reality. It’s going to be very difficult.”
A vaccine candidate developed at the University of Oxford has been tipped as the ‘front runner’, and is currently being tested in 10,000 volunteers - including over 70s and 5-12-year-olds.
Speaking last month, Professor Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: “The clinical studies are progressing very well and we are now initiating studies to evaluate how well the vaccine induces immune responses in older adults, and to test whether it can provide protection in the wider population.
“We are very grateful to the huge support of the trial volunteers in helping test whether this new vaccine could protect humans against the pandemic coronavirus.”
While early reports indicated that the vaccine could be available as early as August, experts have now warned it may not be ready until October.
Speaking during a webinar this week, Professor Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, explained that the ‘best scenario’ would see results from the trial in August and September, with deliveries from October.
