The race for a vaccine

Will vaccines provide the solution to the coronavirus pandemic?

December 2020 saw the rollout of the first regulatory approved vaccine against COVID-19 in the UK and many other countries, providing a glimmer of hope for many. However, the path to effectively managing the disease has only just begun. With potential public hesitation and misinformation around the effectiveness of the vaccines, transparency and communication around the process has never been more important. How have vaccines against the virus been developed so quickly? How do we know they are safe?

Hosted by Professor Brian Cox, our panel of expert speakers discussed the collaborative global effort of the scientific community over the past year to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. They explored what we currently know about the vaccines that are being deployed or in development and took a forward look at what the next few months and years may hold for us as we continue to tackle this universal public health crisis. 

This event is part of a series of Royal Society events discussing the scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Catch up with the first event on the Royal Society’s YouTube channel.

Speakers

• Professor Brian Cox CBE FRS, the Royal Society’s Professor for Public Engagement in Science (event host)
• Professor Melinda Mills FBA, Nuffield Professor of Sociology and Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, University of Oxford
• Professor Charles Bangham FRS, Co-Director of the Institute of Infection, Imperial College London
• Dr Rino Rappuoli ForMemRS, Chief Scientist and Head of External Research & Development, GSK Vaccines