As the number of COVID-19 cases rises to more than 10.5 million worldwide, people are beginning to wonder whether a coronavirus vaccine could be available by the end of the year. The timeline for how long it will take for researchers to release a viable vaccine varies between experts.

According to the U.S.A. Today vaccine panel, the world is only at one-third of the way towards developing an effective vaccine. Paul Offit, a director at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, said he believes the vials will be ready mid-2021.

Pamela Bjorkman, a structural biologist at Caltech University, echoed Offit's statement. She also noted that companies would likely face a challenge in producing, manufacturing, and distributing hundreds of millions of doses across the globe.

Other health experts also posed questions on more significant issues, including:

  • Are the vaccines safe to use in humans?

  • Are the vaccines effective against COVID-19?

  • Will the vaccines provide lasting protection?

  • Can it be mass-produced quickly and reliably?

Who is the vaccine frontrunner?

In a vaccine tracker created by the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), there are at least 36 vaccines currently under clinical trials and pre-clinical stages, as of June 25.

According to WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford is currently the frontrunner.

The AZD1222 vaccine is currently in phase 3 clinical trials-the first amongst all candidates to advance to late-stage testing. The WHO official also noted the company's plans to conduct vaccine trials in a global scope. Late-stage testing is expected to occur in several countries, with several trials in progress in the U.K., Brazil, and South Africa.

AstraZeneca's vaccine is one of only a handful selected by the Trump administration to receive funding as part of its initiative, Operation Warp Speed.

However, the drugmaker's C.E.O. revealed the vaccine is only expected to protect from the novel coronavirus for one year, Fierce Pharma reported. It isn't clear whether recipients should get another dose or rely on other vaccines or treatments.

A close second

Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is a close second in the race to develop a safe and effective dose, says Swaminathan.

The mRNA-1273 is currently in phase 2 clinical trials. The biotech company plans to launch the third and final phase of its study in July, The Motley Fool reports.

On June 12, Moderna finished finalizing its protocols for the Phase III clinical trial of its vaccine after receiving suggestions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The research team is set to collaborate with the National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to enroll over 30,000 participants in the U.S.

Moderna's C.E.O., Stephane Bancel, said he believes their vaccine has an 80 percent approval rate from the F.D.A. She also claims the biotech company expects to deliver 500 million vaccine doses each year starting 2021.

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