Israeli scientists claim to be close to developing a vaccine for coronavirus that could be available in about 90 days.
The MIGAL Galilee Research Institute says its researchers have developed an effective vaccine against avian coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV), which is to be adapted soon and create a human vaccine against COVID-19.
“After four years of multidisciplinary research funded by Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology in co-operation with Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture, MIGAL has achieved a scientific breakthrough that will lead to the rapid creation of a vaccine against coronavirus,” the institute says on its website.
“This possibility was identified as a by-product of MIGAL’s development of a vaccine against IBV (Infectious Bronchitis Virus), a disease affecting poultry, whose effectiveness has been proven in preclinical trials carried out at the Volcani Institute. MIGAL has now made required genetic adjustments to adapt the vaccine to COVID-19, the human strain of coronavirus, and is working to achieve the safety approvals that will enable in-vivo testing, enable the initiation of production of a vaccine to counter the Coronavirus epidemic currently spreading throughout the world.”
Institute chief executive David Zigdon says the organisation is doing everything it can to accelerate development.
Australian scientists say Israel is one of several countries putting its resources into developing a vaccine for the virus, also called COVID-19. However a leading infectious diseases expert warns that it will take months to conduct animal trials and human trials and gain approval if and when the vaccine comes to fruition.
Read the article by Chris Griffith, technology reporter in The Australian.