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‘’’COVID-19 Vaccines’’’

A COVID-19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against serve acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an established body of knowledge existed about the structure and function of coronaviruses causing diseases like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). This knowledge accelerated the development of various vaccine platforms during early 2020. The initial focus of SARS-Cov-2 vaccines was on preventing symptomatic often serve illness. On January 10, 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence data was shared through GISAID, and by March 19, the global announced a major commitment to address COVID-19. In 2020, the first COVID-19 vaccines were developed and made available to the public through emergency use authorization. Initially, most COVID-19 vaccines were two-dose vaccines, with the sole exception being the single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. However immunity from the vaccines has been found to wane over time, requiring people to get booster doses of the vaccine to maintain immunity against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccines are widely credited for their role in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing the severity and death caused by COVID-19, though some people have still managed to get the virus even after being vaccinated. According to a June 2022 study, COVID-19 vaccines prevented an additional 14.4 to 1.98 million deaths in 185 countries and territories from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021. Many countries implemented phased distribution plans that prioritized those at highest risk of complications such as the elderly, and those at high risk of exposure and transmission, such as healthcare workers.

Common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines include soreness, redness, rash, inflammation at the injection site, fatigue, headache, myalaga (muscle pain), and arthralgia (joint pain), which resolve without medical treatment within a few days. COVID-19 vaccines are not associated with a higher risk of adverse effects during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Temporary changes to the menstural cycle in young women have been reported, although these changes are “small compared with natural variation and quickly reverse. Serious adverse events associated COVID-19 vaccines such as allergic reactions, are generally rare but of high interest to the public. Because COVID-19 vaccines are relatively new, new claims about possible side effects are still being made, and sometimes reports conflict.

As of August 13, 2022, 12.45 billion people doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide based on official reports from national public health agencies. By December 2020, more than 10 billion people vaccine doses had been preordered by countries, with about half of the doses purchased by high-income countries comprising 14% of the world’s population. Despite the extremely rapid development of effective mRNA and viral vector vaccines worldwide vaccine equity has not been achieved. The development and uses of whole inactived virus (WIV) and protein-based vaccines have also been recommended, especially for use in developing countries.