How fast can a vaccine be made? - Dan Kwartler
-
0:07 - 0:09When a new pathogen emerges,
-
0:09 - 0:12our bodies and healthcare systems
are left vulnerable. -
0:12 - 0:16In times like these,
there’s an urgent need for a vaccine -
0:16 - 0:19to create widespread immunity
with minimal loss of life. -
0:19 - 0:24So how quickly can we develop vaccines
when we need them most? -
0:24 - 0:28Vaccine development can generally
be split into three phases. -
0:28 - 0:32In exploratory research, scientists
experiment with different approaches -
0:32 - 0:35to find safe and replicable
vaccine designs. -
0:35 - 0:39Once these are vetted in the lab,
they enter clinical testing, -
0:39 - 0:44where vaccines are evaluated
for safety, efficacy, and side effects -
0:44 - 0:47across a variety of populations.
-
0:47 - 0:50Finally, there’s manufacturing,
-
0:50 - 0:54where vaccines are produced
and distributed for public use. -
0:54 - 0:59Under regular circumstances, this process
takes an average of 15 to 20 years. -
0:59 - 1:03But during a pandemic,
researchers employ numerous strategies -
1:03 - 1:06to move through each stage
as quickly as possible. -
1:06 - 1:10Exploratory research is perhaps
the most flexible. -
1:10 - 1:13The goal of this stage
is to find a safe way -
1:13 - 1:17to introduce our immune system
to the virus or bacteria. -
1:17 - 1:21This gives our body the information
it needs to create antibodies -
1:21 - 1:24capable of fighting a real infection.
-
1:24 - 1:28There are many ways to safely trigger
this immune response, -
1:28 - 1:33but generally, the most effective
designs are also the slowest to produce. -
1:33 - 1:37Traditional attenuated vaccines
create long lasting resilience. -
1:37 - 1:40But they rely on weakened viral strains
-
1:40 - 1:45that must be cultivated in non-human
tissue over long periods of time. -
1:45 - 1:48Inactivated vaccines take
a much faster approach, -
1:48 - 1:54directly applying heat, acid, or radiation
to weaken the pathogen. -
1:54 - 1:58Sub-unit vaccines, that inject
harmless fragments of viral proteins, -
1:58 - 2:00can also be created quickly.
-
2:00 - 2:05But these faster techniques produce
less robust resilience. -
2:05 - 2:08These are just three
of many vaccine designs, -
2:08 - 2:11each with their own pros and cons.
-
2:11 - 2:14No single approach is guaranteed to work,
-
2:14 - 2:17and all of them require
time-consuming research. -
2:17 - 2:20So the best way to speed things up
is for many labs -
2:20 - 2:23to work on different models
simultaneously. -
2:23 - 2:26This race-to-the-finish strategy
-
2:26 - 2:30produced the first testable
Zika vaccine in 7 months, -
2:30 - 2:35and the first testable COVID-19 vaccine
in just 42 days. -
2:35 - 2:39Being testable doesn’t mean
these vaccines will be successful. -
2:39 - 2:42But models that are deemed safe
and easily replicable -
2:42 - 2:47can move into clinical testing while other
labs continue exploring alternatives. -
2:47 - 2:52Whether a testable vaccine is produced
in four months or four years, -
2:52 - 2:57the next stage is often the longest and
most unpredictable stage of development. -
2:57 - 3:02Clinical testing consists of three phases,
each containing multiple trials. -
3:02 - 3:07Phase I trials focus on the intensity
of the triggered immune response, -
3:07 - 3:11and try to establish that the vaccine
is safe and effective. -
3:11 - 3:15Phase II trials focus on determining
the right dosage and delivery schedule -
3:15 - 3:17across a wider population.
-
3:17 - 3:20And Phase III trials determine safety
-
3:20 - 3:24across the vaccine’s primary
use population, -
3:24 - 3:28while also identifying rare side effects
and negative reactions. -
3:28 - 3:32Given the number of variables
and the focus on long-term safety, -
3:32 - 3:36it’s incredibly difficult to speed up
clinical testing. -
3:36 - 3:39In extreme circumstances,
researchers run multiple trials -
3:39 - 3:42within one phase at the same time.
-
3:42 - 3:46But they still need to meet
strict safety criteria before moving on. -
3:46 - 3:50Occasionally, labs can expedite
this process by leveraging -
3:50 - 3:53previously approved treatments.
-
3:53 - 3:59In 2009, researchers adapted
the seasonal flu vaccine to treat H1N1— -
3:59 - 4:04producing a widely available vaccine
in just six months. -
4:04 - 4:08However, this technique only works
when dealing with familiar pathogens -
4:08 - 4:12that have well-established
vaccine designs. -
4:12 - 4:17After a successful Phase III trial,
a national regulatory authority -
4:17 - 4:21reviews the results and approves
safe vaccines for manufacturing. -
4:21 - 4:26Every vaccine has a unique blend
of biological and chemical components -
4:26 - 4:29that require a specialized pipeline
to produce. -
4:29 - 4:32To start production as soon
as the vaccine is approved, -
4:32 - 4:38manufacturing plans must be designed
in parallel to research and testing. -
4:38 - 4:42This requires constant coordination
between labs and manufacturers, -
4:42 - 4:47as well as the resources to adapt
to sudden changes in vaccine design— -
4:47 - 4:51even if that means scrapping
months of work. -
4:51 - 4:54Over time, advances in exploratory
research and manufacturing -
4:54 - 4:57should make this process faster.
-
4:57 - 4:59Preliminary studies suggest
that future researchers -
4:59 - 5:03may be able to swap genetic material
from different viruses -
5:03 - 5:06into the same vaccine design.
-
5:06 - 5:11These DNA and mRNA based vaccines
could dramatically expedite -
5:11 - 5:14all three stages of vaccine production.
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5:14 - 5:16But until such breakthroughs arrive,
-
5:16 - 5:20our best strategy is for labs
around the world to cooperate -
5:20 - 5:23and work in parallel
on different approaches. -
5:23 - 5:25By sharing knowledge and resources,
-
5:25 - 5:29scientists can divide and conquer
any pathogen.
- Title:
- How fast can a vaccine be made? - Dan Kwartler
- Speaker:
- Dan Kwartler
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-fast-can-a-vaccine-be-made-dan-kwartler
When a new pathogen emerges, our bodies and healthcare systems are left vulnerable. And when this pathogen causes the outbreak of a pandemic, there’s an urgent need for a vaccine to create widespread immunity with minimal loss of life. So how quickly can we develop vaccines when we need them most? Dan Kwartler describes the three phases of vaccine development.
Lesson by Dan Kwartler, directed by Good Bad Habits.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:32
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