Standard approach urged to assess vaccines

A STANDARDISED approach is needed to assess the effectiveness of any potential Covid- 19 vaccine, experts have said.

In a review published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, researchers from the University of Oxford said a meaningful comparison of different candidates is required to ensure only the most effective vaccines are deployed.

Dr Susanne Hodgson, of the University of Oxford, who is the lead author of the review, said: “It is unlikely that we will see a single vaccine winner in the race against Covid- 19.

“Different technologies will bring distinct advantages that are relevant in different situations, and additionally, there will probably be challenges with manufacturing and supplying a single vaccine at the scale required, at least initially. Taking a standardised approach to measuring the success of vaccines in clinical trials will be important for making meaningful comparisons, so that the most effective candidates can be taken forward for wider use.”

There are more than 200 vaccine candidates in development, with 44 in clinical trials.

Of the 44, nine are in the phase three stage of clinical evaluation and are being given to thousands of people to confirm safety and effectiveness.

An effective vaccine is one that can act against infection, disease, or transmission – potentially keeping the Covid- 19 pandemic under control.

The review authors said that to help compare clinical efficacy between the current and future vaccine candidates, “standardised, quantifiable endpoints” need to be applied to clinical trials and the “limitations and potential for bias” also need to be understood.