A COVID-19 Vaccine by January? Here’s Why It’s Possible But Not Likely Several companies and institutions are now doing research on a COVID-19 vaccine. How quickly they can develop the vaccine will depend on how clinical trials go. Getty Images Some government and business officials are expressing hope that a vaccine against COVID-19 could be ready as early as January. Experts say that goal is quite optimistic given the testing, manufacturing, and distribution that usually accompanies a new vaccine. They do note that the genome sequencing for the new coronavirus has been done and a number of companies are doing research on a vaccine now. They also note that some companies have agreed to begin manufacturing before clinical trials are completed. The timeline to develop a safe, effective vaccine to fight a virus is typically counted in years — or even decades. But with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting millions around the world and killing hundreds of thousands of people, the race is on to