Ten vaccines close to having a shot at virus DR CHARLIE WELLER

TEN Covid-19 vaccines are now in the final phase of testing, raising hopes of an end to the pandemic.

Large-scale global trials with tens of thousands of volunteers are progressing.

And experts are not ruling out the front runners starting to become available this year.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer says results from its

THIS will be the fastest the world has ever gone from discovering a brand-new pathogen to developing a vaccine against it.

To have so many candidates in late-stage trials in just 11 months is remarkable, but we must be realistic about what the vaccines can offer.

The first ones will not be perfect. They may only provide immunity for a limited time and it’s unlikely phase 3 trials are imminent, with hundreds of thousands of doses already produced.

And with 30 million doses on order for the UK, it could be our best hope in 2020.

Dr Charlie Weller, from charity Wellcome, said the pace of development was “remarkable” but it was vital to be “realistic” as the first jabs may only offer immunity for a limited time. they will be fully effective for everyone.

This is why we need a range of approaches.

The UK vaccine taskforce has secured access to a broad portfolio of candidates, which puts us in a strong position.

But vaccines are just one tool for dealing with the pandemic and will never be the complete solution.

We should expect small steps, not giant leaps.