3 major challenges the country faces once a COVID vaccine is ready :: WRAL.com



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– The long-awaited defense in the fight against COVID-19 is almost here. Experts at Duke believe that within a year or so, life may once again have some sense of normalcy.

However, even with a vaccine, there are challenges.

1. It takes time to distribute to everyone

First, it will take time to distribute the vaccine to everyone.

“Be happy that we are starting to see some light at the end of this tunnel,” said Thomas Denny, COO of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.

After several promising trials, manufacturers and governments are gearing up to vaccinate billions of people over the next year and beyond.

“Anytime you do something this size there will likely be setbacks along the way. Lots that do not pass quality control will not be eligible for release, ”said Denny.

2. Rich countries can accumulate the vaccine

“Rich countries are accumulating the vaccine. We are all now familiar with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Over 80% of all doses of these two vaccines have already been purchased by rich countries – with poor countries left behind, ”said Dr Gavin Yamey, professor of global health and public policy at the Duke Global Health Institute. .

Concerns are growing about how vaccines will be distributed to low-income countries. In America, inequalities in health care, racial disparity and accessibility in rural communities remain a major problem. Especially for vaccines which will take a little more work to stay cool and effective.

“We’re going to have to be prepared to fill in those areas, to provide some kind of cooling device to distribute the vaccines,” Denny added.

3. Resistance to public vaccines

The biggest obstacle that healthcare professionals will face is vaccine resistance among the public.

“When people talk about vaccine hesitation, we have to understand what’s going on,” Yamey said.

There are still many reasons to hope

In addition to facing these hurdles, experts still expect to see large numbers of people vaccinated by the second half of 2021.

Duke experts also stressed the need to start a childhood vaccination plan and clinical trial that will best serve COVID studies in younger age groups.

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