THE rush to produce a vaccine for Covid-19, which initially began as a global response to a new virus that was infecting millions at a tremendous rate and killing many, has now become something of a race.
Apart from the huge gains pharmaceutical companies stand to make, it is also a matter of national prestige. It is a race to show which nation has the best brains, the best facilities. One can draw on similar occasions in history, each with its own underlying story.
You don't even have to go back a century, let alone centuries. The best example of such a race was the so-called Space Race, which began in the mid 1950s.
That competition was "won" by the United States when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969. But it was the Russians who won the first battle, being the first to put a man, Yuri Gagarin, in space, in Sputnik 1.
So when President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had come up with the world's first vaccine for Covid-19, he did so with some level of pride, even naming the vaccine Sputnik V.
But we have to ask: Is this false pride? Malaysia — and indeed the world — are concerned due to the lack of clinical data. So we are proceeding with caution, and rightly so. Even the World Health Organisation is asking for pre-qualification of the vaccine, which involves a rigorous review and evaluation of all the data required for safety and efficacy in clinical trials.
The concern is real and understandable. The timeline for any vaccine is usually between five and 10 years as it involves various stages of testing, including on humans.
We have read many articles, seen many news reports that state a vaccine will likely not be produced anytime soon as most clinical trials do not succeed.
One report in the New York Times says a vaccine for coronavirus — any coronavirus — has yet to be released. And, apparently, the record for developing an entirely new vaccine is at least four years. But other experts say there is a possibility that the global demand and pressure may actually push the development of a vaccine. Putin claims that several countries in Asia have expressed interest in the vaccine. We know Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte volunteered himself to be a human guinea pig, so confident is he in his Russian counterpart.
However, AFP reported yesterday that Duterte would not receive the inoculation until regulators guaranteed its safety. And there you have it.
Malaysia, therefore, should not be too hasty to acquire the vaccine. Besides, it has been reported that Phase 3 trials of the vaccine have not yet been done. A Phase 3 clinical trial is designed to evaluate if an investigational vaccine can prevent symptomatic Covid-19 in adults. It is a relatively advanced step in the development of a vaccine, but is still way off the mark.
There is still a long way to go. This Russian vaccine has reportedly been administered to Putin's daughter. It was a tremendously risky move, considering that Phase 3 trials have yet to begin.
For her sake, we not only hope it works, but that it does not have any dangerous or permanent side effects. For now, let Malaysia take a wait-and-see approach before arriving at a decision.