Understanding Vaccine Development

In a virtual TED Talk hosted by David Biello and featuring Jerome Kim, the Director General of the International Vaccine Institute considers the steps required for a vaccine's development, and how the COVID-19 vaccine differs due to the circumstances surrounding it.

While most vaccines are developed over the the course of a five to 10 year timeline, researchers have had to cut the timeline down to 12 to 18 months in order to stifle the spread of the virus as quickly as possible. As Kim explains, the challenge not only lies in finding a viable vaccine that's safe and effective, but tackling affordability and widespread distribution. In addition to these factors, Kim speaks to the scientific approaches being taken towards the various vaccine candidates that are currently being tested, and how different types of vaccines have quicker and slower development processes.

During a Q&A period with the TED community, Kim considers the data that is currently available based on both animal and human trials, how a single treatment can be created to treat the different symptoms that are associated with the virus, as well as which short to mid-term side effects can be tested for before and after the vaccine is released—among many other topics.