A number of clinical trials designed to find a vaccine to fight the Zika virus are planned for Jamaica, according to Dr. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health. The trials form part of a global study supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is possible that a vaccine could be made available within a year, said Tufton. Jamaica is one of approximately 65 nations engaged in the battle against Zika. Because the virus is new, there is no resistance to it, noted Tufton. The human immune system has not yet developed the capacity to fight it, and so it tends to spread rapidly until some kind of resistance is built up, he said. Dr. Tufton urged Jamaica to fight Zika via a free flow of information at all levels as well. “The biggest and most significant line of defense to fight this virus is us,” he stated.