Inside Story

Is there an end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic?

US drugmaker Moderna says its vaccine is nearly 95 percent effective, widening the prospects of an end to the coronavirus pandemic.

A second potential COVID-19 vaccine is raising hopes around the world.

Untied States drugmaker Moderna says trials have shown its vaccine is nearly 95 percent effective against the new coronavirus.

Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech announced similar results.

Many challenges remain, however.

Regulators in the US and elsewhere still have to approve the new vaccines. Then, there is the question of supply and demand, as well as how to distribute billions of doses globally, while some countries may not even be able to afford them.

But could this be the beginning of the end of the fight against the pandemic?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Dr Annelies Wilder-Smith – Professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Azeddine Ibrahimi, Director of the Biotechnology Lab at Rabat Medical and Pharmacy School, Mohammed V University

Oksana Pyzik – Lead at University College London’s Global Citizenship Programme on outbreaks of infectious diseases