They predicted they would do it. Now Israel’s Defense Minister is claiming that the country’s biological research institute has created a vaccine to the coronavirus, or more specifically to COVID-19:
TIMES OF ISRAEL – Defense Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday said he witnessed a “significant breakthrough” by Israel’s defense biological research institute in developing an antibody to COVID-19, as the researchers wrapped up the development phase and moved to patent and mass produce the coronavirus vaccine.
Bennett visited the labs of the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), a secretive unit that works under the Prime Minister’s Office, in Ness Ziona and was shown the “antibody which attacks the virus in a monoclonal way and can neutralize it within the bodies of those ill,” according to a statement from his office.
The statement said the vaccine’s development had been completed. The institute was in the process of patenting the find “and in the next stage, researchers will approach international companies to produce the antibody on a commercial scale.”
“I am proud of the institute staff for this terrific breakthrough,” said Bennett. “Their creativity and the Jewish mind brought about this amazing achievement.”
It was not immediately clear if the breakthrough presented to Bennett was in addition to progress that was reported in late March and no further details were provided. The statement also did not specify whether human trials were conducted.
What a huge breaking through this would be if true. I hate to sound skeptical, but I just wish there was more known about the testing and development of this vaccine. Based on the above it sounds like they must’ve already completed human trials since they are patenting it and getting ready to mass produce it.
I don’t know about other countries, but here some doctors here are very careful about what they prescribe for a patient, with some even being unwilling to prescribe HCQ since it doesn’t have the rigorous history of trials and testing with COVID-19 that it does with other diseases.
Let’s hope this vaccine has a solid history of testing and development that will set doctors, and the FDA, at ease about approving it. Because we could definitely use a vaccine right now.