SARS-CoV-2: Unique Challenges of the Virus and Vaccines

Immunol Invest. 2021 Jun 10:1-8. doi: 10.1080/08820139.2021.1936009. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn November 2019, the highly infectious coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to almost all countries worldwide. Since its emergence, the COVID-19 infection has led to significant public health, economic and social problems. The current pandemic has inspired researchers to make every effort to design and develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine to provide sufficient protection against the virus and control the infection. In December 2020, the Pfizer vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and the second FDA so-approved vaccine was the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine, which was introduced a week later. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA-based vaccines, and are estimated to have an efficacy rate of more than 94%. The aim of this article is to provide a review of the attempts made to develop safe SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, highlighting potential challenges and concerns, such as disease enhancement, virus mutations, and public acceptance of the vaccine.PMID:34109900 | DOI:10.1080/08820139.2021.1936009

Source: Immunological Investigations - June 10, 2021 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Ata Mahmoodpoor Sarvin Sanaie Parisa Samadi Mehdi Yousefi Nader D Nader Source Type: research