JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – The Jerusalem Post has reported that Israeli scientists are “on the cusp” of delivering an effective vaccine to prevent the new coronavirus. The good news comes while the country itself is contending with its first cases of the influenza. The bad news is that the WHO has labeled the risk of the coronavirus spread an impact at “very high” globally.

Several thousand years ago, the Lord God told Abraham that He would bless all nations through His chosen people. It appears that we may soon see that happen yet again as Israel comes to the aid of an otherwise defenseless world.

The reason that the Galilee Research Institute (MIGAL) is so close to a breakthrough is that they have spent the last four years developing a vaccine to prevent an infectious bronchitis virus that affects poultry. That vaccine has already been proven highly effective in preclinical trials at Israel’s Veterinary Clinic.

Can a poultry vaccine help humans?

Yes, it can.

MIGAL’s approach has not been to develop a specific vaccine for a particular virus. Instead, it has created a vaccine based on “a new protein expression vector … that causes the body to form antibodies against an invading infection.”

Ironically, MIGAL researchers also began investigating the DNA of the coronavirus soon after the virus appeared in China.

“The MIGAL researchers examined [the DNA] and found that the poultry coronavirus has high genetic similarity to the human one, and that it uses the same infection mechanism [as the coronavirus].”

Producing an effective coronavirus vaccine becomes a relatively simple process of adjusting the current vaccine sequence to attack the COVID-19 in humans. The MIGAL predicts that the new vaccine could be ready within weeks. The only apparent downside as of now is that it could take up to 90 additional days before the oral treatment is ready to be released and distributed.

A MIGAL spokesperson exclaimed, “Let’s call it pure luck. We decided to choose coronavirus as a model for our system just as a proof of concept for our technology.”

Call it whatever you will, but this writer believes it is the promise and providence of God who is, once again, demonstrating His love for His chosen people and His entire creation.

Pray for the continued successful development of the vaccine. Consider using the Gospel for Asia online Lent calendar devotionals as a companion to your prayers and to help you draw closer to the Lord.

To read more news on Coronavirus on Missions Box, go here.