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Why Emergency COVID Vaccine Approvals Could Pose a Dilemma
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Why Emergency COVID Vaccine Approvals Could Pose a Dilemma

If approval comes before clinical trials end, this could complicate the study of vaccines’ long-term effects

David Cyranoski and Smriti Mallapaty
Nature, 2020
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

In the race to inject COVID-19 vaccines into millions of arms worldwide, scientists wrestle with the ethics of whether to allow a clinical trial’s placebo participants to get a vaccine immediately after it’s approved for emergency use. Some say studying the long-term effects of vaccines, such as their safety and efficacy, could be compromised by doing so. Other researchers insist that the potential for human suffering overrides the possibility of long-term data damage.

Take-Aways

  • Emergency-use approvals (EUAs) of COVID-19 vaccines could complicate ongoing clinical trials.
  • Vaccines are critical, life-saving tools that trial participants deserve to access as soon as possible.
  • Vaccine developers are looking for ways to continue post-EUA trials that track side effects and efficacy.

About the Authors

David Cyranoski reports for Nature from Shanghai, China. Additional reporting by Smriti Mallapaty.

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