[Serkevan]

Everyone's asking "how could these vaccines be developed in such little time if they're safe?" when they should be asking "What other medicines can we develop this quickly if we cut out all the bureaucracy involved?".

The speed is due to the scientists not having to continually go through review processes to see if their work will continue to receive funding. From the articles I've read it seems about the least efficient process imaginable, and it's costing millions of lives at the same time because drugs aren't available when they could be.

That's what happens when it's all done for profit.

[timb64]

It would be nice if a comparable amount of effort was put into finding a vaccination/treatment for malaria once this is all over!

https://www.unicef.org/media/files/MALARIAFACTSHEETAFRICA.pdf

[MarkJerling]

It would be nice if a comparable amount of effort was put into finding a vaccination/treatment for malaria once this is all over!

https://www.unicef.org/media/files/MALARIAFACTSHEETAFRICA.pdf

Indeed.

Research with mRNA vaccines are progressing for malaria. See, for instance https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-020-0380-5 and Enlisting the mRNA Vaccine Platform to Combat Parasitic Infections and A promising new malaria vaccine candidate - BugBitten

I'd say there's a fair bit of effort, but, of course, more can be done and maybe the Covid work will speed things up for other disease vectors.

[gaweidert]

That's what happens when it's all done for profit.

Perhaps you should read the book "Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment". An example of a government sponsored, university run experiment. People and the university still in the CYA and plausible deniability mode over that one.

[Serkevan]

Perhaps you should read the book "Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment". An example of a government sponsored, university run experiment. People and the university still in the CYA and plausible deniability mode over that one.

I know about Tuskegee. A bad government actor does not make for-profit research better, however.

And I'm saying this *because* I work in research and I know first hand what happens when funds are tied to a specific marketable target.

[leicam-3]

Pfizer one, of course. Hoping this is the beginning of the end . . . . . . .

Not yet although at age 80 I am an endangered species. I am not against vaccines however I am waiting to see if there are negative side and or after effects.

[slartibartfast01]

Not yet although at age 80 I am an endangered species. I am not against vaccines however I am waiting to see if there are negative side and or after effects.

How long do you intend to wait?

[MarkJerling]

Perhaps you should read the book "Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment". An example of a government sponsored, university run experiment. People and the university still in the CYA and plausible deniability mode over that one.

Yikes! I had to google that. Yikes!

[gaweidert]

Yikes! I had to google that. Yikes!

Yep. Always be careful when someone shows up at your door and says "We're from the government and we're here to help."

[Serkevan]

Yep. Always be careful when someone shows up at your door and says "We're from the government and we're here to help."

I'd extend that caution to more or less anyone. Particularly if they tell me they want to help me save money .

On topic, things are going slow around here: Coronavirus: Europe looks for a way out of vaccine fiasco | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 26.01.2021
Supply issues, international squabbling... I hope we can get this entire thing sorted out before people are so much on edge we all end up getting cut...

[Fontan]

Not yet although at age 80 I am an endangered species. I am not against vaccines however I am waiting to see if there are negative side and or after effects.

My father is almost 91 and he is getting his first dose Thursday.

[bobmaxja]

New vaccine story = similar story of Space X vs United Launch Alliance.

[Wheatfield]

Agreed on all counts - Heck, when Remdesivir or other things .

The irony with Remdesivir, as well as the vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca is the original source of some of the genetic material. Some people may not want to dig too deeply into the roots of these drugs......

---------- Post added Jan 27th, 2021 at 08:50 AM ----------

I'm against animal testing for anything to do with medicine (or anything else for that matter), not just Covid. I think we should use human volunteers.

Of course one wonders where the volunteers will come from, and will they be "volunteers, or "voluntolds".
There have been an awful lot of medical atrocities committed on human "volunteers" over the decades.

[Fontan]

My parents got Moderna today.

[Rondec]

I'd extend that caution to more or less anyone. Particularly if they tell me they want to help me save money .

On topic, things are going slow around here: Coronavirus: Europe looks for a way out of vaccine fiasco | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 26.01.2021
Supply issues, international squabbling... I hope we can get this entire thing sorted out before people are so much on edge we all end up getting cut...

Interesting that Astra Zeneca hasn't been able to supply the number of doses they said they would. So only 31 million doses delivered by the end of March to the EU and as a result there are law suits threatened. My impression is that the EU wants AZ to take supply from factories in the UK and deliver them to Europe and AZ says that they can't do that before they supply vaccine promised to the UK.

Sounds like lawsuits are in order.

(Even in a pandemic, lawyers are the only ones who come out on top).