How a vaccine is developed, a step-by-step guide

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Thirty-five percent of people in the U.S. don’t plan on getting the coronavirus vaccine once it’s available, according to a recent poll. 

Health officials are concerned if not enough people are willing to get it, the U.S. won’t achieve the ultimate goal of herd immunity and the virus will continue to plague the country.

Fear, skepticism and anxiety it may do more harm than good are just a few driving factors behind the hesitancy. But perhaps a little education about how a vaccine is developed can put people at ease.

News 8 spoke with Richard Kuhn, PhD, director of Purdue University’s institute of inflammation, immunology and infectious disease. Kuhn broke down, step-by-step, what goes into creating a vaccine, the rigorous trials underway supporting the COVID-19 vaccine candidates that demonstrate both safety and effectiveness and why it’s important for those currently against a vaccination to reconsider.

Click the video for the full breakdown.

News 8’s medical reporter, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Gillis, D.Ed., is a classically trained medical physiologist and biobehavioral research scientist. She has been a health, medical and science reporter for over 5 years. Her work has appeared in national media outlets. You can follow her on Instagram @reportergillis and on Facebook @DrMaryGillis.