MADRID, June 10. /TASS/. Clinical tests of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus may begin in Spain in the autumn of 2020, Science and Innovation Minister Pedro Duque told TASS in an interview.
"Work is in progress in Spain on ten vaccine projects," Duque said. Currently a team of specialists under virologist Mariano Esteban, of the National Center of Biotechnology, is testing one vaccine on mice.
"If the results are satisfactory, clinical tests may begin in the autumn," Duque said. "It is expected that preclinical tests of several other vaccines will begin by the end of the year."
"I do believe that we will be able to obtain a vaccine in sufficient amounts during 2021," he said. "However, success is not guaranteed. There are many diseases against which no vaccines have been created to this day."
"But it is also true that such vast research has never been carried out at scientific centers, universities and private companies," Duque said. "Currently laboratories around the world are working on some 180 projects for creating a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2."
In all previous cases creating and authorizing a newly-created vaccine for use required several years. This time, amid the coronavirus pandemic the regulatory authorities are trying to fast-track the procedure.
"One of the risks [resulting from haste] is the emergence of a vaccine that has been produced but not tested well enough and will eventually fail to work," Duque said.
"Spain favors cooperation with all countries, including Russia, of course," he said. "From the very beginning of this crisis we called for open access to all results that have been obtained. It is a common problem and all of us should cooperate to resolve it."
Duque acknowledged that there existed a certain risk of a second wave of the disease in Spain. "But if many people get infected again, we will be prepared far better," he added.
Spain is one of the countries the hardest-hit by the pandemic. Since the infection began to spread about 242,000 patients have been identified, more than 27,100 of whom died. An alert has been in effect since the middle of March. Travel restrictions inside the country were imposed. As the coronavirus disease rates decline, the government eases restrictions step by step.