Achieving high COVID-19 vaccine uptake among health workers will not only protect these critical staff members, it will also support high levels of uptake among the general public.
Critics of the South African government argue that it has done too little too late to secure vaccines, and that it doesn’t have a proper plan in place for rollout.
A biologist who studies the evolution of diseases explains what’s different about the two new virus strains that have been found recently, and what that means for vaccine effectiveness.
Rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has begun. But getting the jab doesn’t mean abandoning masks, distancing and handwashing. Here’s why the current preventive measures must continue post-vaccine.
It’s unlikely South Africa will have a substantial number of vaccines until the second half of this year. Most of the vaccines produced in Europe or America have been bought by other countries.
Massive vaccine distribution efforts take a lot of coordination. The rollout of the Salk polio vaccine in the US in 1955 holds lessons for those delivering COVID-19 shots today.
In our first weekly update on COVID vaccines, we consider how roll-out plans are being tweaked and when it’s likely we’ll start to see vaccines having an impact.
With many more months of lockdowns, mask mandates and quarantining in our futures, the government needs to get its messaging just right and we all need to manage our expectations appropriately.
Researchers say around 70% of the US needs to get the coronavirus vaccine to stop the pandemic. But questions around the vaccines and regional differences add some uncertainty to that estimate.
So far, the only COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use need to be kept frozen. But there are many places in the world that can’t support a cold supply chain.
A vaccine may be the magic bullet, but getting travellers back in the skies will require much more — including convincing people that travel is safe again.
With vaccines forthcoming for most Americans, many groups, including expectant mothers, are wondering if the vaccine is safe for them and their babies. A physician-scientist explains.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand