Current and Future State Of The COVID Vaccine

COVID-19 has ravaged the world. There are millions dead, but with the developments in the vaccine, the end to the pandemic could be coming to a close.

December 1st, 2019, was the day that the first person was diagnosed with COVID-19. It was not officially recognized as a disease by the WHO (World Health Organization) until January of 2020. Countries immediately started working on a vaccine. The provider relief fund from the CARES Act gave 175 billion to companies who were creating the vaccine. This gave a jump start on research. 

As of the 3rd of February, 2021, there are 104 million total COVID cases with 2 million deaths. The United States, India, and Brazil are all leading the world in infection count and death count. The current numbers don’t show it going down any time soon. 

Currently, in the United States, the Pfizer Vaccine and Moderna Vaccine are being used for emergency use only, according to the New York Times. Johnson & Johnson is another big brand that is working to get approved by the FDA. 

Moderna and Pfizer are the two main vaccines available in the United States. There has been a fight recently about which one is better to use. According to Health magazine, “Pfizer vaccine is 52% effective after the first dose, and about 95% effective after the second dose in adults ages 16 and up.” while “Moderna’s vaccine is about 94.1% effective against COVID-19 in people ages 18 and older.” This shows great success rates in the two vaccines. But there are side effects. Both vaccines have been seen to cause injection site pain, swelling, or redness, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes. Not everyone will get these side effects, but their trials both showed these an occurrence.

According to the Guardian, “The Russian coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, was 92 percent effective at preventing symptomatic illness in a large clinical trial.” This Vaccine, since the report (The information and report were put out by the kremlin), has been sent out to other countries like China. With not as much information on it as the other vaccines, it’s hard to know how effective it is.

Between all the vaccines, the effectiveness varies. Some say Moderna is better. Some say Pfizer is better. If you have real concerns about the vaccine, contact a medical professional.

The future of the vaccine is promising. While doses are far and few right now, Congress is moving forward with a $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan. According to the Washington Post, “The plan includes a wide range of actions including $1,400 checks, extended unemployment benefits and an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, as well as funneling $160 billion for vaccines and testing.” This relief plan will bring money straight to the vaccine producers and to the people who are stuck at home with no job. It is a win, win for both company and individual. 

Overall, the promise for the vaccines looks good. Since many of these vaccines are still in early stages and haven’t been through all the steps that a vaccine-like Pollo went through, we cannot say for sure how they will be for long term effects.