Pharmaceutical companies were quick to create vaccines in response to the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease, with a high rate of transmissibility, and posed a major risk to senior citizens and those with underlying conditions.
Several pharmaceutical companies have developed innovative mRNA vaccines to counter the coronavirus. Pfizer, Biontech, Astrazeneca, Moderna, Sinopharm and others have produced vaccines, with different efficacy rates. Some vaccines required two shots before a person could be considered vaccinated.
The coronavirus is prone to mutations, and has already produced several well known variants, including the Delta and Lambda strains, and there was debate about their efficacy against new strains of the virus. Further, there was concern about breakthrough cases and waning antibodies. Some countries, such as Israel, advocated for the use of booster shots to increase efficacy, though WHO cautioned against the use of third jabs.
Vaccine rollouts varied from country to country, with Israel being one of the first countries to gain major percentages of its population being vaccinated. Countries like Israel rushed to domestically create vaccines or secure deals with pharmaceutical companies. In the United States of America, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided emergency-use provisions for the Pfizer vaccine.
In some countries, such as Israel, coronavirus passports have been created. Coronavirus passports like Israel’s Green Pass document the vaccination status of a citizen, allowing them to freely associate with the rest of the population. Critics assert that coronavirus passports represent an extreme violation of liberties.
