1/3: Being asked about the Russian vaccine, my take:
1. The technical hurdle to develop a #COVID19 vaccine is actually not very high
2. It's an "old school" problem in virology to induce high levels of virus neutralizing antibodies and T cell help.
cnn.com/2020/08/11/eur…
1. The technical hurdle to develop a #COVID19 vaccine is actually not very high
2. It's an "old school" problem in virology to induce high levels of virus neutralizing antibodies and T cell help.
cnn.com/2020/08/11/eur…
2/3:
3. Many ways to do this, we're pursuing a recombinant protein approach, others mRNA, adenovirus, live virus, inactivated virus, all with varying degree of effectiveness.
4. The hard part is making a vaccine that you know actually works and safe in humans: That takes time
3. Many ways to do this, we're pursuing a recombinant protein approach, others mRNA, adenovirus, live virus, inactivated virus, all with varying degree of effectiveness.
4. The hard part is making a vaccine that you know actually works and safe in humans: That takes time
3/3:
5. So sure, the Russians can make a vaccine, as have many groups. The worry is that they bypassed the essential to QC/QA, clinical testing to ensure its efficacy & safety.
6. That's why anyone who calls this "a race" is basically advertising their science illiteracy
5. So sure, the Russians can make a vaccine, as have many groups. The worry is that they bypassed the essential to QC/QA, clinical testing to ensure its efficacy & safety.
6. That's why anyone who calls this "a race" is basically advertising their science illiteracy
My other worry is that the Russians will export a vaccine that is either untested or under tested to countries in Africa or in Latin America - Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela as a means to exert old-fashioned "Cold War" style political influence. The dark side of vaccine diplomacy 
Still another worry is that the White House will see this as an “arms race” of sorts and use it as an excuse to try and push an Operation Warp Speed Vaccine ahead of the fall election
