The figure of Professor Sarah Gilbert, the Humble Leader of the AstraZeneca Vaccine Discovery Team

Photo: Doc. University of Oxford

Indonesia can be proud because it turns out that there is a contribution of Indonesian children in the invention of the Oxford AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine which became one of COVID-19 vaccine the most widely used in the country. Indra Rudiansyah, a doctoral student in Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford, England, is part of the Jenner Institute team. This trust was given thanks to his experience in developing rotavirus and novel polio vaccines at Biofarma after graduating from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Since 20 January 2020, the Jenner Institute team has been hard at work testing a COVID-19 virus vaccine at the Oxford Vaccine Centre. Indra himself is in charge of testing antibody response of volunteers who have been vaccinated.

No less interesting is the figure of the team leader of the Jenner Institute, Profesor Sarah Gilbert, who recently received a special honor from the audience at the opening ceremony of the Wimbledon tennis match. The reason is, Sarah and the team are considered very meritorious to humanity by creating vaccine AZ, which is the cheapest COVID-19 vaccine used in various countries. Although many other parties are also developing COVID-19 vaccines, Sarah is special because research woman it disclaims the patent on the masterpiece AZ vaccine.

Sarah had never dreamed of becoming a vaccine specialist. But in the mid-1990s, his academic work at the University of Oxford required him to research the genetics of malaria. The research led to the discovery of a malaria vaccine. Sarah’s career took off, she became a professor at the prestigious Jenner Institute, forming her own research group in an effort to create a universal flu vaccine, which would be effective against all the different types of flu.

In 2014, Sarah led the first trial of an Ebola vaccine. When the MERS virus (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) struck, he went to Saudi Arabia to try to develop a vaccine for a new subtype of this coronavirus. Trials of both vaccines had only just begun when, in early 2020, COVID-19 emerged in China. Sarah immediately realized that she might be able to use the same approach.

Furthermore, the AZ vaccine was developed very quickly. Sarah and the team work from early morning to late at night every day. They are racing against time as the number of victims of the COVID-19 virus continues to grow. According to Sarah, it will take several weeks to create a vaccine that works against COVID-19 in the laboratory. Then batch first went into production in early April 2021. He described the process as a series of small steps rather than a major breakthrough moment.

“From the start, we saw it as a race against the virus, not a race against other vaccine developers,” he said earlier this year. “We are a university and we are not doing this to make money,” he continued.

Sarah is described as conscientious, quiet, shy, steadfast, and firm in her convictions by her school, university, and colleagues. Being the center of attention was the last thing he wanted. But Sarah has to get used to it, as the world view is now on her and the developers of COVID-19 vaccines in other parts of the world as they continue to race against time in developing existing COVID-19 vaccines. (f)

Also Read:
7 Facts about Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine from Efficacy to Safety
COVID-19 Vaccination for Children 12-17 Years Old, Is it Safe?
Indonesia Needs a Third Dose of Vaccine as Extra Protection?

Stephanie Mamonto

#vaccincovid19, #vaksinastrazeneca, #covid19, #vaccine

–