The WHO last week said it may be 18 months before a vaccine against the coronavirus is publicly available.

Let’s explore why, even with global efforts, it might take this long.

China shared publicly the full RNA sequence of the virus — now known as SARS-CoV-2 rather than COVID-19, which refers to the disease itself — in the first half of January.

This kickstarted efforts to develop vaccines around the world, including at the University of Queensland and institutions in the US and Europe.