Hopes for a return to some kind of normalcy amidst the fog of a global pandemic rest on the development of some kind of COVID-19 vaccine. With over 100 different kinds of vaccines at various stages of development perhaps the most consistent message we are continually hearing is the mantra, "12 to 18 months".

This somewhat abstract timeframe has been echoed by politicians and researchers around the world, but what exactly does it mean?

A 2013 study from Dutch researchers examining vaccine development timelines suggested it takes an average of 10.71 years to move a vaccine from pre-clinical stages to market registration. Compressing this down to 12 to 18 months may not be impossible, but it certainly is ambitious.