Planning for a COVID-19 Vaccination Program | Infectious Diseases | JAMA | JAMA Network

Type Journal Article Author Sarah Schaffer DeRoo Author Natalie J. Pudalov Author Linda Y. Fu URL https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2766370 Series Viewpoint Publication JAMA Network Date 18/05/2020 Call Number JAMA. 2020;323(24):2458-2459 DOI 10.1001/jama.2020.8711 Accessed 2020-07-05 12:34:50 Language en Abstract The long-term solution to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hopefully, will be a globally implemented, safe vaccination program that has broad clinical and socioeconomic benefits. Dozens of vaccines are in development, with 8 currently in phase 1 trials. Some scenarios predict the earliest, widespread availability of a COVID-19 vaccine to be in 2021.1 As launches of prior mass vaccination programs have demonstrated, careful planning to ensure readiness of both the general public and the health community for a COVID-19 vaccine should begin now. To substantially reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19, an efficacious and safe vaccine must be delivered swiftly and broadly to the public as soon as it is available. However, the mere availability of a vaccine is insufficient to guarantee broad immunological protection; the vaccine must also be acceptable to both the health community and general public. Vaccine hesitancy is a major barrier to vaccine uptake and the achievement of herd immunity, which is required to protect the most vulnerable populations. Depending on varying biological, environmental, and sociobehavioral factors, the threshold for COVID-19 herd immunity may be between 55% and 82% of the population.2