The race to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine has been a key priority in the response to the pandemic. Public awareness of the importance of vaccines in controlling infectious disease outbreaks has been heightened as the U.S. begins what may be the largest mass vaccination campaign in the nation’s history.
In this updated explainer, we discuss the importance of immunizations, standards used to determine vaccine safety and efficacy, immunization recommendations and vaccine coverage estimates, and additional context regarding the development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine.
