British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that a mass vaccine for the novel coronavirus may be over a year away and, in the worst-case scenario, may in fact never be found.
In his foreword to the government’s new 50-page guidance on a step by step easing of the lockdown measures in place to control the spread of the deadly virus, the United Kingdom prime minister lays out plans for businesses to gradually start reopening with COVID-19 Secure measures of social distancing and for the public to use good solid British common sense as the economy is unlocked.
“A mass vaccine or treatment may be more than a year away,”said Johnson, highlighting the work being done in the UK by scientists at Oxford University and Imperial College London towards this mission.
“Indeed, in a worst-case scenario, we may never find a vaccine. So our plan must countenance a situation where we are in this, together, for the long haul, even while doing all we can to avoid that outcome,” he said.
Admitting that a vaccine or drug-based treatment is the only feasible long-term solution, he said the UK has accelerated this with promising vaccine development programmes and a collaboration between Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca was a vital step that could help rapidly advance the manufacture of a Covid-19 vaccine when it is ready.
As part of global efforts, he flagged the £388 million in aid funding for research into vaccines, tests and treatment, including £250m to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
“But while we hope for a breakthrough, hope is not a plan,” he said, as he unveiled his plan for starting to lift lockdown restrictions from this week in phases.
Following a televised address to the nation on Sunday night and a statement in parliament on Monday, the guidance comes into effect in public life across England from Wednesday when people will be allowed one-to-one contact with people other than those they live with, as long as they remain outside and two metres apart.
They are allowed to play sport with a friend or family member from outside their household or socialise with them in the open air for the first time in more than six weeks since the lockdown was imposed.
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