Scientists have known about the coronavirus for 4 years and almost had a vaccine but the lack of funding kept it from happening.

According to NBC News, back in 2016 scientists in Texas had developed a vaccine but could not get it to clinical testing and since it wasn't top of mind at the time the government blew it off.

Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital's Dr. Peter Hotez said, "we tried like heck to see if we could get investors or grants to move this into the clinic, but we just could not generate much interest."

Hotez when COVID-19 popped up in China, a vaccine could have been production instead of sitting in a freezer uncompleted. Hotez states this is due to a broken system when it comes to developing new vaccines.

You may find this a bit shocking but Hotez says an effective vaccine may be at least two years away.

Just because some laboratory says they are weeks from making a vaccine, in all reality, it doesn't go straight to the public. It needs to be tested in clinics to see if its safe and effective.

Hotez said, "what they're really saying is they can move a vaccine into clinical trials, but this will not go quickly because was we start vaccinating human volunteers, especially in areas where we have community transmission, we're going to have to proceed very slowly, very cautiously."

I'm gonna go wash my hands again.

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