The US military is nearing the announcement of its first COVID-19 vaccine that can overcome all current virus variants, including Omicron, as well as future strains. According to the "Defense One" website, researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to announce the success of human clinical trials for the vaccine within a few weeks.
The development of the vaccine has been ongoing for about two years, since the US military obtained the virus's DNA in early 2020. Animal testing was completed earlier this year with positive results, as announced by the US military in December. The website quoted Keyvan Modjarrad, the director of infectious diseases research at Walter Reed Institute, stating that the first phase of human trials, which tested the vaccine against Omicron and other variants, concluded this month positively, although it is still undergoing final review.
However, the innovative vaccine must undergo second and third phase trials before it can be officially approved. Unlike current vaccines, the technology used to produce the vaccine, called "SPF," allows scientists to attach different mutations from various coronavirus strains. Modjarrad noted that human trials took longer than expected because the lab needed to test the vaccine on individuals who had not been vaccinated or previously infected with the virus.
Currently, there are several vaccines that have proven effective against most coronavirus variants, including those from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, as well as AstraZeneca and Sinopharm. Scientists have found that vaccine effectiveness varies depending on the technology used, with mRNA-based vaccines like Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson showing greater effectiveness, while inactivated virus vaccines, such as the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, are somewhat less effective.
