Coronavirus vaccine unlikely to be ready in time

The Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, has said he does not think a working vaccine will be produced in time for the coronavirus outbreak.
By PA Reporter
Published 6th Mar 2020, 10:01 BST
Updated 6th Mar 2020, 10:02 BST
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He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't think we will get the vaccine for this outbreak.

"I don't think we'll get something in time or at scale for this outbreak."

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Sir Patrick added: "That said, there have been remarkable changes in the ability to make vaccines, and discover vaccines, just in the last few years, and so things have progressed much more quickly than they would have done in the past.

On Thursday the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading reported the first death in the UK of a person who had been diagnosed with coronavirusOn Thursday the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading reported the first death in the UK of a person who had been diagnosed with coronavirus
On Thursday the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading reported the first death in the UK of a person who had been diagnosed with coronavirus

"And it's not unreasonable to assume that we will end up with a vaccine, and we may do so in a year, 18 months, which is remarkable when you consider just a few years ago it would have taken 20 years to do that."

Sir Patrick added: "We have been looking at this right from the outset with very sophisticated mathematical modelling, and we are confident of refining the death rate, the mortality rate, down, and we really think 1% is probably the most accurate figure at the moment.

"It may be lower."

Related topics:BBC Radio 4Government