US scientists look to come up with cheap, patent-free Covid jab. Why is it special?

With an aim to make Covid vaccine more accessible to all, a team of US scientists are making strenuous efforts.  

These experts from the state of Texas are looking to develop a shot for the disease by using a decades-old conventional method.   

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They look to make the production and distribution cheaper. It can help in increasing the rate of vaccinations around the world, especially poor countries.   

This team is led by Dr Peter Hotez and Dr Maria Bottazzi from the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine.   

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They are developing vaccine prototypes for Sars and Mers since 2011. They have reconstructed it to make the new Covid vaccine, dubbed Corbevax, or “the world’s COVID-19 vaccine”.  

Over 60 other vaccines are also being made using the same technology, Bottazzi said that their jab is unique as they do not intend to patent it. Anyone will be able to reproduce it.  

“Pretty much anybody that can make hepatitis B vaccines or has the capacity to produce microbial-based protein like bacteria or yeast, can replicate what we do,” Bottazzi said.  

(With inputs from agencies)