5 questions you might have on COVID vaccines, answered by the WHO

Apr 1, 2021

image of the Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Israel is leading the way with vaccination rates, followed by the United Arab Emirates. Image: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta

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Vaccination

Major scientific breakthroughs coupled with unprecedented cooperation and investment means we now have several vaccines approved for use.
To date, Israel is leading the way by number of vaccines per capita.
The World Health Organization has produced a video to answer some of the most common questions about the coronavirus vaccines.

A year ago, even the most optimistic among us would have found it hard to believe we would have a vaccine against the pandemic that was starting to grip the world. Now we have several. And millions of people have received at least one dose.

It is a major scientific achievement, coupled with unprecedented international cooperation and investment, that has got us to this point. Previous vaccines have taken around 10 years to develop.

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a chart showing the countries with the highest rate of COVID-19 vaccination

Israel leads with the highest rate of COVID-19 vaccination. Image: Statista

Discover

How has the Forum navigated the global response to COVID-19?

One year on: we look back at how the Forum’s networks have navigated the global response to COVID-19.

Using a multistakeholder approach, the Forum and its partners through its COVID Action Platform have provided countless solutions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, protecting lives and livelihoods.

Throughout 2020, along with launching its COVID Action Platform, the Forum and its Partners launched more than 40 initiatives in response to the pandemic.

The work continues. As one example, the COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs is supporting 90,000 social entrepreneurs, with an impact on 1.4 billion people, working to serve the needs of excluded, marginalized and vulnerable groups in more than 190 countries.

Read more about the COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, our support of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemics Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI), and the COVAX initiative and innovative approaches to solve the pandemic, like our Common Trust Network – aiming to help roll out a “digital passport” in our Impact Story.

As more and more of us are invited to get our vaccine, it is natural that people might have some questions. From whether we need both doses, to the jabs’ effectiveness against new and emerging variants, in this World Health Organization video, Professor Katherine O’Brien answers five of the most common questions.

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