Merits and Demerits of COVID-19 Vaccines

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) continues to reshape the globe. It is more than a year since the virus first emerged, yet the vast majority of people are still vulnerable. The current response to the COVID-19 pandemic involves aggressive implementation of containment, suppression, and mitigation strategies causing devastating social, economic and political crises. The restrictions on our lives are the only thing holding the virus in check. The world cannot return to normal without safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 along with a coordinated global vaccination program. Vaccines remain the safest, most cost-effective protection against disease. Unprecedented data sharing and collaborative team efforts are breaking down barriers in an attempt to reduce the time of vaccine development. An ideal COVID-19 vaccine should be safe, provide long-lasting protection, protect not only against disease but prevent virus transmission to others, be able to be produced quickly and in large quantities, be easily stored, transported and administered. The global COVID-19 vaccine pipeline is currently expanding on a daily basis. Multiple platforms are being used for producing vaccines at pandemic speed. Each platform has its own merits, demerits and challenges and it is unlikely that any single platform on its own will constitute a solution for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.