WHO looks into concerns related to human challenge trials used for COVID-19 vaccine development
- 3 years ago
코로나 바이러스 주입해 백신 시험, WHO가 타당성 논의
While we are hearing encouraging news on the development of COVID-19 vaccines around the world,... some scientists have reservations about the technical and ethical aspects of the human trials taking place.
Kim Hyo-sun has the details.
The WHO has reportedly begun looking into the feasibility of 'human challenge trials' in which healthy young volunteers are deliberately infected with the novel coronavirus for vaccine development.
This comes as some scientists have raised questions over the fact that the volunteers have to be exposed to a virus for which there is no cure.
According to the Guardian, the 12-member WHO advisory group meeting is aimed at discussing related technical and ethical concerns.
The international body explained that the meeting is not open to the public, but will mull over including civil participation in similar discussions going forward.
Despite such doubts,... many also insist that the risks of COVID-19 to young and healthy volunteers are minimal,... while the benefits of the trials to society are extremely high.
The UK government has invested about 40 million U.S. dollars to back a human challenge trial, and similar studies are also being planned in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the global health body says receiving COVID-19 vaccines would not be made compulsory.
"So it will be up to countries to decide but the position is that the way it works better is to make sure that the people who are in the priority population to be vaccinated first, that they have the right information and that they can do an informed choice regarding getting the vaccine."
As with vaccines for other infectious diseases,... the WHO also highlighted the importance of continued research on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine as well.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.
While we are hearing encouraging news on the development of COVID-19 vaccines around the world,... some scientists have reservations about the technical and ethical aspects of the human trials taking place.
Kim Hyo-sun has the details.
The WHO has reportedly begun looking into the feasibility of 'human challenge trials' in which healthy young volunteers are deliberately infected with the novel coronavirus for vaccine development.
This comes as some scientists have raised questions over the fact that the volunteers have to be exposed to a virus for which there is no cure.
According to the Guardian, the 12-member WHO advisory group meeting is aimed at discussing related technical and ethical concerns.
The international body explained that the meeting is not open to the public, but will mull over including civil participation in similar discussions going forward.
Despite such doubts,... many also insist that the risks of COVID-19 to young and healthy volunteers are minimal,... while the benefits of the trials to society are extremely high.
The UK government has invested about 40 million U.S. dollars to back a human challenge trial, and similar studies are also being planned in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the global health body says receiving COVID-19 vaccines would not be made compulsory.
"So it will be up to countries to decide but the position is that the way it works better is to make sure that the people who are in the priority population to be vaccinated first, that they have the right information and that they can do an informed choice regarding getting the vaccine."
As with vaccines for other infectious diseases,... the WHO also highlighted the importance of continued research on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine as well.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.