COVID-19 vaccine may never be found, warns UK PM Boris Johnson

London, May 12

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a COVID-19 survivor, has warned that a mass vaccine for the highly contagious disease may be over a year away and may, in fact, never be found.

In his foreword to the government’s new 50-page guidance on a step-by-step easing of the lockdown measures in place to control the spread of the deadly virus, the UK Prime Minister lays out plans for businesses to gradually start reopening with “COVID-19 Secure” measures of social distancing and for the public to use “good solid British common sense” as the economy is unlocked.

“A mass vaccine or treatment may be more than a year away,” said Johnson, highlighting the work being done in the UK by scientists at Oxford University and Imperial College London towards this mission.

“Indeed, in a worst-case scenario, we may never find a vaccine. So, our plan must countenance a situation where we are in this, together, for the long haul, even while doing all we can to avoid that outcome,” he said.

Admitting that a vaccine or drug-based treatment was the only “feasible long-term solution”, he said the UK has accelerated this with “promising” vaccine development programmes and a collaboration between Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca was a vital step that could help rapidly advance the manufacture of a COVID-19 vaccine when it was ready.

Johnson himself was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 and was admitted to the hospital 10 days later. Johnson was discharged from hospital on April 12.

As part of global efforts, he flagged the 388 million pound in aid funding for research into vaccines, tests and treatment, including 250 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

“But while we hope for a breakthrough, hope is not a plan,” he said, as he unveiled his plan for starting to lift lockdown restrictions from this week in phases.

Following a televised address to the nation on Sunday night and a statement in the Parliament on Monday, the guidance comes into effect in public life across England from Wednesday when people will be allowed one-to-one contact with people other than those they live with, as long as they remain outside and two metres apart.

They are allowed to play sport with a friend or family member from outside their household or socialise with them in the open air for the first time in more than six weeks since the lockdown was imposed.

People are still advised to work from home where possible but start heading into work where necessary, in sectors such as construction and manufacturing, keeping the social distancing norms in place.

Under the step by step plan, by the start of next month non-essential shops will also reopen, with some hairdressers, pubs and cinemas to follow from July. However, as part of a COVID-19 Alert System, if infection rates are seen to be rising again, restrictions would be tightened “possibly at short notice”.

Fines for breaching the new rules will also be increased to 100 pound and will double for each repeat offence, up to a maximum of 3,200 pound.

Johnson said: “I must ask the country to be patient with a continued disruption to our normal way of life, but to be relentless in pursuing our mission to build the systems we need. The worst possible outcome would be a return to the virus being out of control – with the cost to human life, and – through the inevitable re-imposition of severe restrictions – the cost to the economy. We must stay alert, control the virus, and in doing so, save lives.”

“Then, as vaccines and treatment become available, we will move to another new phase, where we will learn to live with COVID-19 for the long term without it dominating our lives.”

The devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales are putting their own measures in place and keeping the ‘stay-at-home’ message in place, rather than switch to the new ‘stay alert’ message,” he added.

The UK government’s latest messaging has come under attack from the Opposition and other sections of society over a feared lack of clarity for the general public.

Britain has been one of the worst-hit countries in the global pandemic, with the government officially recording more than 32,065 deaths due to the disease. PTI

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