Why Vaccines Take So Long

As you might imagine, working with a virus that you plan to inject into humans requires a high degree care and an overabundance of caution. Because of this, quite appropriately, creating the final vaccine product can take many many months.

Testing starts on experimental animals to validate that it is effective and safe. The protocols for this initial stage can take up to 6 months on their own. Once it is shown to be safe and effective, the next “experimental animals” are actually humans.

Phase I clinical trials are small and confirm the safety of the vaccine. Phase II trials go further to make sure the formulation and dose for maximal effectiveness. Phase III trials take the formulation and dose to confirm that it can also work for large groups.

If Phase III is successful, then you have a vaccine. However, production and distribution in large numbers can take some time to work out. This kind of distribution infrastructure can take quite a while to establish as well.

The good news is that the process is not new, and we do understand how to create vaccines safely. The price for the quality and safety of a potentially life-saving vaccine is simply the time it takes to develop it with sound scientific techniques.