The race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine will most likely bring about the most rapidly developed vaccine in history, but uncertainties still abound when it comes to a potential vaccine's effectiveness, safety and ability to be administered to the world's population.
STAT compiled a list of seven key quandaries that scientists, drugmakers and government officials have struggled to conclusively address. They are:
- Vaccination of special populations with little or no data on how the vaccine affects them.
- Definition of high-risk healthcare workers and essential workers.
- Process for those who need to prove they have a high-risk medical condition to gain earlier vaccine access.
- Ability to transport vaccines rapidly with slowed air travel.
- Wide use of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine, which must be stored at -94 degrees.
- Pfizer and BioNTech's ordering system, which stipulates 975 doses as the lowest possible order.
- Ability to keep vaccines safe from theft and counterfeits.