Injecting Hope: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine

Fascinating exhibition at the Science Museum on the development of the Covid vaccine.

The show was well explained and divided into six clear sections Virus, Design, Trial, Manufacture, Vaccinate and Future. Each section looked back at what work had been done in the past that this research was building on. I discovered a new name of Onesimus, an African in America who showed his owner a technique for inoculation which he had witnessed and benefited from in his homeland.

The show was full of iconic objects from recent years some of which seemed to have been donated to the museum. I loved seeing the laptop and mug used by Tess Lambe, co-designer of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, when working from home to develop the vaccine. To think so much came from such simple things. I also liked a display of items from the day the first person got the vaccine in the UK including the clothes worn by the recipient and the nurse plus the syringe used.

The show made me appreciate just what an amazing achievement the vaccine is. I was fascinated by a video explaining how the testing process was allowed to run concurrently with developing its manufacture to speed up the process while keeping it safe. You almost forget where we were before it was developed.

Closes 7 January 2024


 

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