Israeli Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunas announced on April 7 that Israeli scientists could have a coronavirus vaccine developed in a few weeks.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the Galilee Research Institute’s (MIGAL) oral vaccine will be ready in that time frame if everything goes right, and then would need approval in 90 days.
Akunas called it an “exciting breakthrough. I am confident there will be further rapid progress, enabling us to provide a needed response to the grave global COVID-19 threat.”
MIGAL’s oral vaccine would give patients antibodies to fight off the coronavirus, according to the Post.
The Post had previously reported on April 1 that MIGAL’s vaccine headed toward the final stages of development and that human testing could begin as early as June 1.
Additionally, the Israel Institute for Biological Research’s (IIBR) prototype COVID-19 vaccine is being tested on rodents, according to a March 31 Reuters report.
As of this writing, there are 9,006 confirmed cases in Israel and 61 deaths from the virus. Israeli Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov said on April 7 that the Israeli government will start lifting social distancing restrictions after the number of daily cases declines from hundreds a day to dozens a day.
“Israel is in a much better place than more or less all advanced countries we compare ourselves to,” he said.
