Improved Vaccines Won’t Require Needles, Can Be Stored At Room Temperature: WHO Scientist

World Health Organisation’s (WHO) top scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Tuesday said that new improved coronavirus vaccines would not require needles and can be stored at room temperature by the end of this year or the next year, News18 reported.

“We’re thrilled with the vaccines that we have, but we can improve further,” Swaminathan reportedly said. “I think, well into 2022, we’re going to see the emergence of improved vaccines,” she added, Hindustan Times quoted Bloomberg as saying.

Swaminathan added that six-to-eight new immunizations may complete clinical studies and undergo regulatory review by the end of the year. The demand for vaccine is increasing as drugmakers struggle to meet orders as coronavirus continues to spread and variants emerge.

Swaminathan further added that the development of more vaccine candidates should be encouraged as the need for booster immunization of populations was not very clear at this point. “We need to continue to support the research and development of more vaccine candidates, especially as the need for ongoing booster immunization of populations is still not very clear at this point,” she was quoted as saying.