COVID-19 Vaccine

As the new coronavirus continues to cause illness and death around the world, the vaccine is seen as the best way to stop it.

What Does a COVID-19 Vaccine Do?

When you come into contact with viruses or bacteria, your body’s immune system makes antibodies to fight them off.

A vaccine forces your immune system to make antibodies against a specific disease, usually with a dead or weakened form of the germs. Then, if you come into contact with them again, your immune system knows what to do. The vaccine gives you immunity, so you don’t get sick or so your illness is much milder than it otherwise would have been.

The vaccine should slow the spread of COVID-19 around the world. Fewer people should get sick, and more lives can be saved.

Can You Get the Flu Vaccine and the COVID-19 Vaccine at the Same Time?

Possible common side effects like pain, redness, and swelling may last a day or so at the injection site. These won’t change much if you get the flu vaccine, too. Call 911 or head to the nearest hospital if you have a severe allergic reaction.

How Are Vaccines Developed?

The development of a vaccine against COVID-19 has taken place in an unparalleled pace. Usually such a process takes years, but the scope of the pandemic triggered round-the-clock work by thousands of researchers working on over 100 different forms of the vaccine.

Effectiveness and safety were key concerns and the Pfizer vaccine approved in the U.S. for emergency use has been found to have 95% efficacy after its second dose.

Before any vaccine can be used widely, it must go through development and testing to make sure that it’s effective against the virus or bacteria and that it doesn’t cause other problems. The stages of development generally follow this timeline:

• Exploratory stage. This is the start of lab research to find something that can treat or prevent a disease. It often lasts 2 to 4 years.
• Pre-clinical stage. Scientists use lab tests and testing in animals, such as mice or monkeys, to learn whether a vaccine might work. This stage usually lasts 1 to 2 years. Many potential vaccines don’t make it past this point. But if the tests are successful and the FDA signs off, it’s on to clinical testing.
• Clinical development. This is a three-phase process of testing in humans. Phase I usually lasts 1 to 2 years and involves fewer than 100 people. Phase II takes at least 2 years and includes several hundred people. Phase III lasts 3 or 4 years and involves thousands of people. Overall, the clinical trial process may stretch to 15 years or more. About a third of vaccines make it from phase I to final approval.
• Regulatory review and approval. Scientists with the FDA and CDC go over the data from the clinical trials and sign off.
• Manufacturing. The vaccine goes into production. The FDA inspects the factory and approves drug labels.
• Quality control. Scientists and government agencies keep tabs on the drug-making process and on people who get the vaccine. They want to make sure it keeps working safely.

How to Volunteer

If you're interested in volunteering for a COVID-19 vaccine trial, here are some sources for more information:

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