logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2021
27m 43s

Coronavirus Front Line: The search for a...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Over the last few months the race has been on to create and test a vaccine for Covid -19. Over 200 are in development and some are now licensed and given to protect some of the most vulnerable in society and those caring for them. Winifred Robinson has been alongside medical teams at a UK hospital recording as events unfold. She tracks vaccine development through the trial stages and examines what happens when it comes to eventual distribution.

Up next
Today
Brazil's Miracle: an Indigenous disaster
During the Brazilian military dictatorship, the Krenak indigenous people were banned from speaking their language, imprisoned in reformatories and forcibly displaced from their land. In 2024, the State asked them for forgiveness. Can it be granted? Journalist Pūlama Kaufman trave ... Show More
49m 32s
Yesterday
Tackling loneliness in India
India is known for its close knit families and communities, but modern work practices mean more and more people are living far from home, and suffering from loneliness. Reporter Sumedha Pal in Dehli shares the stories of some of the people in India who are trying to find creative ... Show More
26m 28s
Yesterday
Trump and autism: People affected speak out
President Donald Trump recently addressed what he described as the “horrible crisis” in autism, and rapid rise in reported cases over the last two decades. Previously, he has suggested a link between some vaccines and autism, and in his latest remarks, he warned pregnant women to ... Show More
22m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
How COVID vaccines are revolutionizing medicine | Adrian Hill
This past year, scientists racing to stop the novel coronavirus delivered vaccines at a pace and scale the world has never seen before. Adrian Hill, director of Oxford University's vaccine research institute, recounts how he and his team developed the AstraZeneca vaccine. He expl ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 2020
How close are we to a vaccine for Covid-19?
Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now in development. Most vaccines take years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine at reco ... Show More
23m 56s
Nov 2020
A Vaccine Breakthrough
It’s a dark time in the struggle with the coronavirus, particularly in the United States, where infections and hospitalizations have surged.But amid the gloom comes some light: A trial by the drug maker Pfizer has returned preliminary results suggesting that its vaccine is 90 per ... Show More
24m 29s
Jun 2020
The case to infect volunteers with COVID-19 to accelerate vaccine testing | Nir Eyal
Conventional vaccine testing is a slow, years-long process. As thousands of people continue to die each day from COVID-19, bioethicist Nir Eyal proposes a radical idea that could dramatically accelerate the vaccine development timeline: "human challenge trials," in which scientis ... Show More
16m 23s
Sep 2020
Why Are So Many Americans Hesitant To Get A COVID-19 Vaccine?
As trials continue for a coronavirus vaccine, some of the world's biggest drug companies have come together in an unusual way. This week, nine drugmakers released a joint statement pledging to not submit a coronavirus vaccine to the Food and Drug Administration unless it's shown ... Show More
12m 50s
Jan 2021
Why U.S. Vaccinations Started Slow And What We Know About The New Coronavirus Variant
Initially, U.S. officials predicted that as many as 20 million Americans would be fully vaccinated before the end of 2020. And while that many vaccine doses were distributed, only a fraction of them have been administered. The federal government has given states control over dist ... Show More
12m 21s
Oct 2021
La course au vaccin | On part de loin ! | 3
Nous sommes en février 2020, et le laboratoire Moderna vient de prendre la tête de la course au vaccin, avec un candidat-vaccin déjà prêt à être testé sur l’homme.Mais Moderna et les autres laboratoires, savent très bien que beaucoup de vaccins ne passent jamais cette étape fatid ... Show More
27m 47s
Sep 2020
What We Can't Know About a Vaccine
The race for a COVID-19 vaccine entered a new phase recently. Four different vaccine candidates, developed by Moderna, Pfizer, BionTech and Johnson & Johnson, entered final-stage trials, with two others close behind. But we won’t know exactly how these four vaccines work for mont ... Show More
13m 57s
Apr 2020
The Race for a Vaccine
Scientists are racing to make a vaccine for the coronavirus, collaborating across borders in what is usually a secretive and competitive field. But their cooperation has been complicated by national leaders trying to buy first claim on any breakthrough. Today, we explore how the ... Show More
24m 32s