| chakkra said: What I don't understand is why don't they just jump one or two phases. I totally understand the risks but this is an unprecedented emergency. I mean, I would be more than willing to try a vaccine that has already gone through phase I and II, heck, give me even one that has gone through just phase I. |
Phase 1 is administered to healthy people ages in the prime of their life to
Scientists give the vaccine to a small number of people to test safety and dosage as well as to confirm that it stimulates the immune system.
Phase 2 expands to more people and wider age range
Scientists give the vaccine to hundreds of people split into groups, such as children and the elderly, to see if the vaccine acts differently in them. These trials further test the vaccine’s safety and ability to stimulate the immune system.
Phase 3 test whether it's actually effective and takes the longest time
Scientists give the vaccine to thousands of people and wait to see how many become infected, compared with volunteers who received a placebo. These trials can determine if the vaccine protects against the coronavirus.
Testing is already going at lightning speed, phases overlapping each other to further speed up the process. However phase 3 can't be rushed unless you start infecting people on purpose after giving them the vaccine candidate. Plus it takes time to find and study possible side effects.
Figuring out whether it actually prevents infection and stops the virus spreading is the hard part and ethically problematic to speed up. Without knowing whether it actually works, the risks of any side effects can't be weighed. After figuring out which vaccines work and are safe for which underlying conditions, a plan can be made to establish herd immunity. Not everyone needs to be vaccinated while different vaccines might be safer for different pre-existing conditions and/or allergies. It's a giant puzzle, but we'll figure it out. Better do it right the first time since our hospital systems can't take much :/
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