Pre-clinical
vaccines not yet in human trials
142
Phase 1
vaccines in small-scale safety trials
29
Phase 2
vaccines in expanded safety trials
18
Phase 3
vaccines in large-scale efficacy trials
9
Approved
vaccines approved for general use
0
Source: WHO. Last updated 14 Sep
Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Vaccines normally require years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine within 12 to 18 months.
Vaccines mimic the virus – or part of the virus – they protect against, stimulating the immune system to develop antibodies. They must follow higher safety standards than other drugs because they are given to millions of healthy people.
Recent vaccine news
How are vaccines tested?
In the pre-clinical stage of testing, researchers give the vaccine to animals to see if it triggers an immune response.
In phase 1 of clinical testing, the vaccine is given to a small group of people to determine whether it is safe and to learn more about the immune response it provokes.
In phase 2, the vaccine is given to hundreds of people so scientists can learn more about its safety and correct dosage.
In phase 3, the vaccine is given to thousands of people to confirm its safety – including rare side effects – and effectiveness. These trials involve a control group which is given a placebo.
Vaccines in clinical trials
Phase in progress
Phase completed
University of Oxford/AstraZeneca
has recently gone into phase 3 trials in South Africa and Brazil.
CanSino Biologics Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology
BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer
Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm
has never brought a product to market. But proponents of the vaccine say it could be easier to mass produce than traditional vaccines.
Chinese company Sinovac is developing a vaccine based on inactivated Covid-19 particles. The vaccine has shown a promising safety profile in the early stages of testing and is now moving into Phase 3 trials in Brazil.
Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm
Gamaleya Research Institute
Osaka University/ AnGes/ Takara Bio
Kentucky Bioprocessing, Inc
Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies
Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, Rep of Kazakhstan
Cadila Healthcare Limited
Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical/Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Inovio Pharmaceuticals/ International Vaccine Institute
Instituto Finlay de Vacunas, Cuba
Institute Pasteur/Themis/Univ. of Pittsburgh CVR/Merck Sharp & Dohme
West China Hospital, Sichuan University
FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences/Walvax Biotech.
Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc./GSK/Dynavax
ReiThera/LEUKOCARE/Univercells
University of Queensland/CSL/Seqirus
Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation/NIAID/Dynavax
University of Melbourne/Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia is conducting a phase 3 trial using a nearly 100-year-old tuberculosis vaccine. The vaccine is not thought to protect directly against Covid-19 but might boost the body’s non-specific immune response.
Source: WHO. Last updated 14 Sep
