Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Prof Pontiano Kaleebu has revealed why scientists all over the world are finding it easy to develop COVID-19 vaccines.
“It’s easier to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 compared to HIV,” says Prof Pontiano Kaleebu
According to Prof Kaleebu, all COVID-19 survivors have beat battle for COVID-19 because of their immune system that directly fights the virus. He says this makes it easier for scientists to only come up with supportive treatment which is more effective against severe disease.
“The speed at which the vaccine for COVID-19 was made is amazing. Everyone worked together and there was a lot of funding availed for these developments,” he says.
Meanwhile for HIV, Kaleebu says no one recovers from the virus as it always over powers the immune system.
“To come up with a virus for HIV, it’s compared to fighting with nature,” he says adding that pre-treatment HIV Drug Resistance in Uganda has been found to be high.
In his last address about COVID-19, President Yoweri Museveni disclosed that Uganda’s locally made vaccine was at its fourth stage and promised that it will be ready before end this year.