ACCELARATING A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE COVID-19 VACCINE

 

      Since the pandemic began, RAND expertise has helped leaders and decision-makers tackle important issues related to health care responses; reopening schools and businesses while preventing further disease spread; and how to address hesitancy and misinformation about vaccines. And while much of the world has shifted its focus from pandemic response to pandemic recovery, many important questions remain. How has the COVID-19 era exacerbated inequities in health, economic, and education outcomes? What is known about the mental health toll of the crisis? Are there lessons that can help prevent future pandemics?

 

      Answers to these questions may help communities, businesses, and individuals recover long after the worst of the pandemic has passed. The availability of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is well-recognized as an additional tool to contribute to the control of the pandemic. At the same time, the challenges and efforts needed to rapidly develop, evaluate and produce this at scale are enormous. It is vital that we evaluate as many vaccines as possible as we cannot predict how many will turn out to be viable. To increase the chances of success (given the high level of attrition during vaccine development), we must test all candidate vaccines until they fail. WHO is working to ensure that all of them have the chance of being tested at the initial stage of development. This is a major and extraordinary global research undertaking: WHO is facilitating collaboration and accelerated efforts on a scale not seen before; it is convening vital communications across the research community and beyond.

 

      CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older get vaccinated against COVID-19. Everyone ages 12 years and older should also get a COVID-19 booster shot. Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine authorized or approved for children ages 5 through 17 years. Children and teens need two doses of a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Everyone ages 12 years and older should also get a booster shot. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 years has the same active ingredients as the vaccine given to people ages 12 years and older. However, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for teens and adults cannot be used for children ages 5 through 11 years. It is important to have a vaccine, especially for children because they are the one who has a low immune system. The COVID-19 Vaccines mimic the virus or bacteria that cause disease and trigger the body’s creation of antibodies. These antibodies will provide protection once a person is infected with the actual disease-causing virus or bacteria. Vaccines will help children and teens to boost their immune systems.

Sources:

https://www.rand.org/latest/covid-19.html

https://doh.gov.ph/faqs/vaccines

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/children-teens.html

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rand.org%2Flatest%2Fcovid-19.html&psig=AOvVaw3X3SHQoS4j_uIaCTwlvBUB&ust=1651649140323000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjRxqFwoTCNjX64rpwvcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yalemedicine.org%2Fnews%2Fvaccine-content-center&psig=AOvVaw2aTEw3wt21G8dDOzwSa41P&ust=1651649223563000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjRxqFwoTCJDd0JvnwvcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2Fnewshour%2Fhealth%2Fthe-covid-19-vaccine-and-kids-your-questions-answered&psig=AOvVaw30dSQS1mh7Aytdum3rM0mK&ust=1651649331128000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjRxqFwoTCIjBsbLnwvcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAX