Forbes | 2 June 2020
More than a dozen Covid-19 vaccines are in development, with many of them already being tested in humans and many more to begin human trials soon. But what do we actually know about these potential vaccines and why might we be wary of them? Wary, of course, does not mean we stop testing them, but it does mean we must be careful, to fully understand what they do, what they don’t do, and what harm they might cause to otherwise healthy adults and children.
First, what don’t we know?
We do not know if they are safe. No human safety data is available to the public as far as I am aware, though some companies have issued press releases claiming safety without releasing the data. This is a concern as we are contemplating eventually giving vaccines to two to three billion people or more. One adverse reaction will result in many millions either injured or killed.
