A coronavirus vaccine may never be created, and lockdowns could become the norm, an expert has warned.
Dr David Nabarro, a professor at Imperial College London, has warned that we should make no ‘absolute assumptions’ about a vaccine, adding that one may not appear at all.
Speaking to CNN, Dr Nabarro explained: “There are some viruses that we still do not have vaccines against.
“We can't make an absolute assumption that a vaccine will appear at all, or if it does appear, whether it will pass all the tests of efficacy and safety.
"It's absolutely essential that all societies everywhere get themselves into a position where they are able to defend against the coronavirus as a constant threat, and to be able to go about social life and economic activity with the virus in our midst.”
Several teams around the world - including one at the University of Oxford - are working to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
However, Dr Nabarro added that there’s no certainty that any of these vaccines will work on the wider public.
He said: "You have high hopes, and then your hopes are dashed.
“We’re dealing with biological systems, we're not dealing with mechanical systems. It really depends so much on how the body reacts."
Dr Nabarro’s warnings comes shortly after The University of Oxford partnered with pharmaceutical giant AstraZenenca for the development, manufacture and large-scale distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate that is currently being trialled in the UK.
The move will allow for rapid vaccination around the world if the candidate proves to be effective, the university said.
Human trials of the vaccine developed by the University's Jenner Institute began last week, with hundreds of people volunteering to be part of the study which received £20 million in Government funding.
Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University described the partnership with AstraZeneca as a "major force in the struggle against pandemics" for the foreseeable future.
