In the race to the finish line against the long battle with COVID-19, health authorities across the world have authorised the emergency use of vaccines that are still under trial. A look at COVID-19 inoculations across the globe.
By Anuja Venkatachalam
The desperate hunt for a vaccine to build herd immunity against SARS-CoV2, the coronavirus that brought the world to a halt in 2020 culminated in a series of Emergency Use Authorizations towards December 2020, fueling a renewed hope for a return to normal in 2021.
After an intensified period of vaccine trials, four COVID-19 vaccines are being administered in phased roll-outs across 46 countries through emergency use or full authorizations.
China, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates have recorded the highest number of vaccine recipients.
Phased roll-out
The first and second phases of the vaccine roll-out have been reserved for those at the frontlines – medical professionals at a high risk of contracting the virus, nurses and caregivers, and the elderly in nursing homes, and those with underlying health conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19.
While being cognizant of the side-effects and the results of the ongoing Phase III trial for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, most countries are aiming to vaccinate their populations by August 2021.
However, as countries with smaller populations, vaccinate larger proportions of their population, their strategies now focus on protecting herd immunity through various measures including “vaccine passports”.
Vaccines administered
Sinopharm – BBIBP-CorV COVID-19 Vaccine
On 9 January 2021, the Chinese government reported inoculating 9 million people with the vaccine developed by Sinopharm, a pharmaceutical company in China.
The vaccine has been approved for general use in China and ten other countries including the United Arab Emirates following Phase III trials.
The efficacy of the vaccine in the Phase III trial in China is reported to be 79%, however, data from the trial has not been released publicly, fueling skepticism on the side-effects. The producers maintain that the side-effects reported in the trials were mild, and the vaccine reported a higher efficacy rate of 86% in preventing infections in the UAE Phase III trial.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is most prevalently administered in the current phase of global vaccine roll-outs. Following the European Union’s authorization on 22 December, the 27 EU member-states have begun administering the vaccine for medical workers. The vaccine is also being administered in the US after it was approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Cases of allergic reactions have been reported in a few countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. The Centre for Diseases Control in the US recorded over 4000 reports of side-effects, however, there is currently no concrete evidence that can prove reduced efficacy in mass vaccinations.
The United States and United Kingdom governments have cautioned those with existing allergic conditions against being administered the vaccine.
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna, a US-based pharmaceutical company is being administered alongside the Pfizer vaccine in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Argentina. It has recently been approved by the European Union and will be administered by European member states in the next stages of vaccine roll-out.
The vaccine recorded an efficacy rate of 94.1% in its Phase III trial in the US.
Oxford AstraZeneca
The AstraZeneca vaccine developed by Oxford University is currently only being administered in the UK and Argentina. While it was approved for emergency use in the UK prior to the completion of the Phase III trial, the trial has now been completed, and Oxford University has reported an average efficacy rate of 70.4%.
Sputnik V – Gam-COVID-Vac
Sputnik V – Gam-COVID-Vac, Russia’s vaccine candidate is currently being administered in Russia, Guinea, and Argentina. While the vaccine reported a 91.4% efficacy rate in the interim stages of the vaccine trial, Phase III of the trial is currently in progress.
As countries race to the finish line in the long battle against COVID-19, the unprecedented mass distribution of vaccines on the basis of emergency authorization has challenged governments across the world to cautiously manage the fine balance between vaccine availability, vaccine efficacy, and vaccine safety.
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