Dr Joe McEvoy of Bayview Medical practtice in Derry. Pic by Freya McClements
Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle’s Mark Patterson Show, Dr Joe McEvoy said vaccination trials to date seemed “very, very, promising”.
“But we are nowhere near there yet,” say Dr McEvoy.
“Even with the accelerated programme we have it will be a year, a year and a half or two years, before we can realistically get any vaccine out into the public.”
Dr McEvoy said because this coronavirus is so new, not enough is known about how it might mutate in the future and if any mutations would compromise a vaccine.
“There is 23, maybe 24 different types of vaccine being trialled in the world.
“You just hope that one of them is particularly effective – it would be great if two or three of them were effective. That would give us even more protection.”
Earlier this week researchers at Oxford University said a Coronavirus vaccine being developed there appears safe and triggers an immune response.
The spread of the virus has not decreased as countries have opened up after a lockdown.
In fact, in countries like the USA, it has seen its cases rocket on a daily basis in states like Florida, California and Texas where businesses up too quickly.
