Vaccines

One of the first steps in the search for a vaccine consists of finding epitopes (or antigens, the region of the virus recognized by the immune system) that enable an efficient immune response to be triggered. The majority of studies dealing with SARS-CoV-2 have concentrated on the epitopes situated at the level of the spike […]

How has it been possible to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 in such a short period of time? This success is linked to the exceptional nature of the situation, of which 3 aspects might be underlined:  Unlike other epidemics, many countries have simultaneously faced economic catastrophe, and the millions spent on alleviating the situation have […]

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a large part of the population has avoided the virus and so remains non-immunized. A safe and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 could help with controlling the illness and keeping individuals safe from severe infection. The vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca in collaboration with Oxford University, is made up of a […]

To be effective against SARS-CoV-2, a vaccine needs to generate a significant number of neutralizing antibodies targeting the spike viral protein (a surface protein). But to achieve this, a viral antigen needs to be transported and expressed. It now seems possible to use an already-existing vaccine, that which is used and is effective against yellow […]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there has been an incredible worldwide research effort into vaccines. At least 180 vaccines have seen the light of day, with at least 12 of them at the stage of phase 3 trials. But when a vaccine has been found to be safe and effective, should scientists feel it necessary […]

In a historic decision, the United Kingdom became the 1st country to authorize use of the Pfizer BioNtech anti COVID-19 vaccine in the light of trial results. This authorization was granted at an impressive speed, on the 2nd December 2020. Only China and Russia had already authorized their vaccines, but without waiting for the conclusions […]

The first results of clinical trials around the world have come in: the new year will bring widespread vaccination of at-risk populations against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID19. While the FDA (the American authority which oversees the commercialization of medicinal products) and other national bodies are beginning to give their consent for the first […]

In December 2019 the appearance of a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) provoked the worldwide pandemic that we are currently experiencing. For reasons that we are not sure of, immunity linked to these types of seasonal virus only lasts a relatively short time, from 80 days to several years, making […]

On the 9th November 2020 the American company Pfizer, in collaboration with the German company BioNTech, announced the creation of an anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, with 90% effectiveness. On the 11 November the national centre for epidemiology and microbiology in Moscow claimed that its vaccine Sputnik V had 92% effectiveness. The most recent vaccine to be announced […]

The American company Pfizer, in collaboration with BioNTech, has just announced the development of a vaccine that has a 90% success rate against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Although this new announcement has been received very positively for the most part, it nevertheless raises certain questions. Its effectiveness seems undeniable, but we still don’t know the length of the immunity it provides and whether it can prevent serious cases – clinical tests have been carried out only on patients with moderate symptoms for the moment. Its effect on older patients is also still to be confirmed.