Vaccines no 'silver bullet' in battle

Despite progress on jabs, public health measures remain vital, forum hears

Vaccines could be a "game changer" in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic but they are "not a silver bullet", participants in a forum said on Thursday in stressing the need for basic safeguards such as face masks.

Despite optimism over the development of vaccines, public health measures are essential before the doses are made available on a timely and "equitable and affordable" basis, they told the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.

Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of drugmaker Moderna, whose late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trials show 95 percent efficacy, said:"What makes me more excited is the fact that 11 people with severe disease, they were all on placebo."