COVID Variants Like Omicron and Delta Aren’t the Only Reason NIH Scientists Urge Pursuit of Universal Coronavirus Vaccine

SARS-CoV-2 Virus Particles Within Endosomes

Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (gold) within endosomes of a heavily infected nasal Olfactory Epithelial Cell. Credit: NIAID

A growing body of scientific evidence, considered together with ecological reality, strongly suggest that novel coronaviruses will continue to infect bats and other animal reservoirs and potentially emerge to pose a pandemic threat to humans. To counter future coronavirus outbreaks, the global scientific and medical research community should focus a major effort now on three goals: characterize the range of coronavirus genetic diversity in multiple animal species; better understand coronavirus disease pathogenesis in laboratory animal models and people; and apply this knowledge to the development of long-lasting, broadly protective coronavirus vaccines. So argue physician-scientists Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., and David M. Morens, M.D., of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, in a new commentary in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The authors call for an international collaborative effort to extensively sample coronaviruses from bats as well as wild and farmed animals to help understand the full “universe” of existing and emerging coronaviruses. Such studies could, they say, provide early warning about coronaviruses poised to cause outbreaks in humans. They write that carefully controlled human challenge trials, in which volunteers are exposed to coronaviruses, could yield a fuller understanding of coronavirus disease processes and inform vaccine design.  

Despite the availability of safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines, it remains unknown whether and how permanent immunity can be achieved, the NIAID authors note. They say SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will probably continue to circulate indefinitely in periodic outbreaks, and animal coronaviruses of unknown transmissibility and lethality may emerge at any time. Therefore, we must greatly accelerate our efforts in coronavirus vaccinology, they write.

The authors outline the features of an ideal universal coronavirus vaccine that would provide durable protection from most or all coronaviruses for individuals of all ages and communities at large. To achieve this goal, fundamental questions about the nature of coronavirus protective immunity must be addressed, including what vaccine approaches best elicit rapid responses (antibodies, for example) and lasting immune “memory” responses that could defend against newly emergent coronaviruses.

The still-raging COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the ever-present threat from new coronaviruses, necessitates the expeditious development of safe and broadly protective coronavirus vaccines. This is a challenge that we must now fully commit ourselves to addressing, the authors conclude.

Reference: “Universal Coronavirus Vaccines — An Urgent Need” by David M. Morens, M.D., Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D. and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., 15 December 2021, The New England Journal of Medicine.
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2118468

4 Comments on "COVID Variants Like Omicron and Delta Aren’t the Only Reason NIH Scientists Urge Pursuit of Universal Coronavirus Vaccine"

  1. John Andrew Kociuba | December 19, 2021 at 6:33 am | Reply

    Who is paying for this psuedo-science horse apples? Vaccines NEVER work for a ZOONONIC VIRUS aka FLU! Sara’s Cov 2 is gone! Viruses circulate for 9 months before burning out or Replicating. Furthermore since the pandemic which is over 2 years know. Only 15% of the United States Population had a bad adverse reaction to Sars Cov 2. Yes. Out of this 15% 99.9997 to 99.9998 had a survival ratio absent hospitalization and prescription antibiotics. This is a virus killing people with 2
    5 per existing illnesses and obesity. Moreover those suffering death thru heart tissue inflammation is directly correlated to the vaccines! BlackRock and the Bankers own Johnson & Johnson, Merk, Pfizer! You’re all stooges of the Rothschild Family. Children have ZERO chance of death and majority of humans are asymptomatic and should NEVER take these experimental vaccinations.

  2. There is no mystery, there are just ignorant or evil doctors. Ivermectin + Zinc picolinate cures Cov19. It also cures all colds, all flues and some cancers(PubMed) We need to get of the Cov19 roller coaster and look at facts. Japan, India, Turkey and many other Countries have authorized the use of Ivermectin to treat Cov19. There is no more crisis, no more mystery we just need to arrest all mainstream news people and all doctors and politicians claiming that “we” need to take a “vaccine” that isn’t a vaccine

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