After a year of uncertainty, the promising results of several COVID-19 vaccine trials worldwide indicate a light at the end of the tunnel. The United Kingdom was the first country to begin vaccination globally in December 2020. In January 2021, United States President Joe Biden announced a target of administering 100 million vaccine shots over the first 100 days of his presidency. India kicked off its vaccination drive two weeks into the new year. Of the 218 countries affected by COVID-19, 34 have initiated the vaccination process so far. Here are six vaccines you should know about:
Oxford AstraZeneca
This vaccine has been developed by researchers at the Oxford University and British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca. Its Phase III results from the United Kingdom and Brazil suggested an average efficacy of 70 per cent. However, it showed an efficacy of 90 per cent when the first dose was half while the second dose was administered in full. Two full doses showed an efficacy of 62 per cent.
The Oxford AstraZenca vaccine is made from a weakened virus that causes a common cold in chimpanzees. It has been modified to look like the novel coronavirus. The vaccine can be stored at a temperature of two to eight degrees Celsius, which makes it suitable for mass transport and distribution, particularly in warmer countries. In India, Covishield is a version of this vaccine, manufactured and tested by the Serum Institute of India in Pune.
Moderna
United States-based biotech firm Moderna has declared that its vaccine showed efficacy of just over 94 per cent, based on preliminary data. It is an RNA vaccine, with a part of the novel coronavirus’s genetic code injected into its body. It trains the body to make antibodies and T-cells to fight the virus. The vaccine is administered in two doses, four weeks apart. It can be stored at two to eight degrees for 30 days and needs to be stored at -20 degrees Celsius for up to six months. Its need for refrigeration makes it difficult to store in tropical countries.
Pfizer-BioNTech
Like Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine is based on a part of the novel coronavirus’s genetic code. In Phase III trials, it showed an efficacy of 95 per cent, including in adults over 65 years. However, like the Moderna vaccine, it must be stored in extreme cold, up to -70 degrees Celsius. The vaccine has been approved for use in the UK, the EU, Canada and Saudi Arabia. It has been granted emergency use authorisation in the United States, Argentina, Mexico and Singapore. Both Moderna and Pfizer recently announced that their vaccines are effective against the new strains of the novel coronavirus that have emerged in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Sputnik-V
Sputnik-V is developed by the Gamleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia. The vaccine uses two vectors based on the human adenovirus, which reportedly creates a stronger and longer immune response when compared to vaccines that use the same vector for both doses. Preliminary results from its Phase III trials suggest efficacy of 91.4 per cent. A dry form of the vaccine can be stored a temperature of two to eight degrees. It does not require freeze storage. The Gamaleya Centre has stated that over 50 countries have applied to purchase the vaccine as of 26 January 2021.
Covaxin
Covaxin is India’s first indigenously produced vaccine. It is manufactured by pharma company Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology. It is an inactivated vaccine, made of dead coronaviruses, which then trigger the body’s immune response. The vaccine is administered in two doses two weeks apart. It can be stored at two to eight degrees Celsius.
Johnson & Johnson
Developed by Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical wing, Janssen, this vaccine was recently found to be 66 per cent effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, based on trials in the United States, Latin America and South Africa. Once cleared for emergency use, it will be the first single-dose vaccine for the disease. It can be stored for three months at two to eight degrees Celsius and two years at -20 degrees Celsius.
Even as new strains of the novel coronavirus emerge globally, trends indicate that these vaccines are effective against them. It gives us plenty of room for hope as trials continue across countries.
Sign up for our Newsletter
A weekly newsletter with the most up to dateinformation about Covid 19.
Read our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.