After a really difficult year, living with this pandemic, the production and availability
of the COVID-19 vaccine brings feelings of relief for some and worry for others.
Coronaviruses are not new. Scientists have been researching them for more than 50 years,
so we didn't have to start from scratch. Production of the COVID-19 vaccine was a worldwide effort.
The work to create current COVID-19 vaccine began more than a year ago. With the analysis of the
genetic structure of SARS-CoV-2 virus, more than 50 different vaccines enter clinical trials to be
tested for safety and efficacy, resulting in only a few vaccines now authorized to be used in the
United States. The very large number of cases of global coronavirus helped speed up research results
because the virus could be studied in real-time. Funding, paperwork and administrative approvals
were expedited, but the vaccine was held to the same rigorous efficacy and safety standards,
the same as all other types of vaccines in the United States. It's important to get the facts
to feel confident as vaccines become more widely available. Regardless of vaccination status, the
CDC recommends you keep wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands. It's your
choice to get vaccinated, but the CDC recommends that you get a vaccine as soon as you're eligible.
Let's end this pandemic. For more information about COVID-19 vaccine safety, visit the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention coronavirus information or the WSU COVID-19 vaccine update page.