BRITISH scientists think they can make a vaccine for coronavirus we don’t even know about yet.
Experts at the University of Cambridge are developing a pandemic-proof vaccine that triggers immunity to the building blocks common to several coronaviruses.
It could work against different viruses and variants, targeting shared parts that don’t change when they mutate.
Typical vaccines target superspecific parts of viruses and become less effective as viruses evolve.
Laboratory tests on mice suggest that a single vaccine using the new technology can already defend against Sars, Covid and a number of high-risk coronaviruses known to spread between bats.
Researcher Rory Hills said: “Our focus is on creating a vaccine that protects us against the next coronavirus pandemic and getting it ready before the pandemic even starts.
“We have created a vaccine that offers protection against a wide range of different coronaviruses – including those we don’t even know about yet.”
Teaches the immune system to attack the common part of viruses
The vaccine is made by joining together proteins found in a variety of different viruses.
These teach the immune system to attack them, developing immunity to all viruses that contain one of the target proteins.
Writing in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the scientists suggest the shot could be “broadly protective” against most or even all coronaviruses.
They could then be updated to target a specific virus more directly if there was an outbreak.
It took around nine months to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with a public rollout from December 2020, and thousands of Britons have died waiting.
We need to figure out how to do it even better than the Covid vaccine
Professor Mark Howarth
Professor Mark Howarth added: “We know enough about coronaviruses that we can start building vaccines against the unknowns now.
“Scientists did an excellent job of quickly producing an extremely effective Covid vaccine, but the world was still facing a massive crisis with a huge number of deaths.
“We need to figure out how we can do even better than this in the future, and a powerful component of that is starting to build vaccines early.”
Scientists believe the flu virus is the most likely cause of the next major pandemic, although coronaviruses are also among the main threats.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A SPRING BOOSTER?
This spring’s eligible cohorts include:
- Adults aged 75 and over until June 30, 2024
- Nursing home residents
- Immunosuppressed individuals aged 6 months or older
Those most at risk will be called first, but you don’t need to wait for an invitation to book a booster.
You will be asked to get the booster about six months after your last dose, but you can take it three months later.
If you turn 75 between April and June, you don’t need to wait until your birthday, you can show up when you are called for vaccination.
You will receive a booster dose of a vaccine made by Pfizer or Moderna, both of which are approved in the UK.
These vaccines have been updated from the original vaccines and target a different variant of Covid-19.
The booster will increase your protection against the virus and provide higher levels of antibodies against recent strains.
Source: UKHSA
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