Dr. Peter Hotez says the key to getting the COVID pandemic under control is reducing the rise of variants in developing countries ... and his new vaccine could be just what doctors everywhere ordered.
The renowned vaccine expert joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to tell us all about what could be a game-changing breakthrough -- his low-tech, low-cost vaccine, dubbed Corbevax.
Hotez, who's the Co-Director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, says the Delta and Omicron variants sprouted from unvaccinated populations in India and Africa ... and he says there will be more coming if people in developing nations don't get the shot. That's where his vaccine comes into play.
Corbevax is NOT an mRNA vaccine, and actually uses an older process he and his team started developing a decade ago. It's already been authorized in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia -- and because it's more affordable, he says they've cranked out more than 300 million doses!!!
Remember, it's a global pandemic, and Dr. Hotez told us why he's hoping Corbevax can play a key role ... on a global level.