Covishield Vaccine Creator Warns Against 'More Lethal' Pandemic In Future, Beyond Omicron
One of the pioneers behind a major Covid-19 vaccine has warned against another pandemic, which will most definitely be more lethal.
Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert is one of the key minds behind the Oxford-Astrazeneca viral vector Covid-19 vaccine, which is administered in India under the local branding Covishield.
Delivering the 44th Richard Dimbleby Lecture, Gilbert said that the next pandemic could be "more lethal" while adding that current vaccines may be less effective against the omicron variant of Covid-19.
Not the last pandemic
"This will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods," Gilbert said while delivering the lecture.?
"The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or both," she added. Dr. Gilbert urged the scientific community to keep working on the "advances we have made and the knowledge we have gained."
Also read:?Worried About Blood Clots From Covishield? Scientists May Have Found A Fix
A professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, Dr. Gilbert's is credited for creating a Covid-19 vaccine in record time with AstraZeneca. Currently, the vaccine is in circulation in over 170 countries around the world, saving countless lives in the process.
Circling back to the new omicron variant, Dr. Gilbert said that the variant, which is now present in 30 countries "contains mutations" which are known to increase transmissibility.
Also read:?Sore Throat, Weakness And Body Ache: Most Early & Common Symptoms Of Omicron
What does this mean? The antibodies induced by current vaccines or even after infection with old variants may not offer the protection we thought we had. She urged more focus to be placed on containing the spread of the omicron variant.
What do you think about this warning by Dr. Gilbert, the brains behind Covishield/Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of science and technology, keep reading Indiatimes.com.??
Citation
Sarkar, A. R. (2021, December 6). Next pandemic could be more lethal than Covid, warns Oxford vaccine creator. The Independent.?
