The work on vaccines being developed for the coronavirus goes back more than a decade and was only expedited in light of the covid-19 pandemic.

That’s according to Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for the Americas, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva.

Responding to questions surrounding the seemingly speedy process with which vaccines are being developed for covid-19, Dr. Barbosa da Silva, sought to explain that the groundwork was already laid for the vaccine and the research was simply adjusted for this particular strain of the virus.

He emphasized that the live virus is not a part of the vaccine, while urging persons not to let fear and conspiracy theories prevent them from accessing the vaccine when it becomes available.