Two potential methods for a vaccine against the Zika virus could be ready for clinical trials in people by the end of the year, but there will not be a widely available vaccine for several years, experts said this week, NBC News reported.
"It is to our advantage we already have existing vaccine platforms to use as a sort of jumping off point," said Dr. Tony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The NIAID is currently pursuing at least two approaches to a Zika vaccine. The first being a DNA-based vaccine using a strategy similar to what was employed for the West Nile virus, Fauci told reporters. The second is a live vaccine, "building on similar and highly immunogenic approaches used for the closely related dengue virus."
