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COVID-19 immunity and vaccines: what a pharmacist needs to know Cover

COVID-19 immunity and vaccines: what a pharmacist needs to know

By: Rula M. Darwish  
Open Access
|Apr 2021

Abstract

COVID-19 vaccines are being produced using different platforms by different companies, some of which are entering Phase 3 and 4 trials. Due to the pandemic, this production has been accelerated, which leaves a window for speculation on the method of production and safety. Pharmacists are familiar with vaccination; however, COVID-19 vaccines are still new and further work is needed to clarify many aspects, including side effects, methods of storage, and number of doses. Prioritization of vaccination has been implemented to a certain extent, but no clear strategy is available. A comprehensive overview on immunity and immunological principles for the design of COVID-19 vaccine strategies is provided in this narrative review and the current COVID-19 vaccine landscape is discussed, in addition to exploring the principles for prioritization of vaccination using data from articles available in PubMed and from health organizations. Pharmacists should have a better understanding of COVID-19 vaccines and their manufacture. This would also allow better counseling of the public on COVID 19, immunization, and explaining prioritization basis and vaccination programs.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abm-2021-0008 | Journal eISSN: 1875-855X | Journal ISSN: 1905-7415
Language: English
Page range: 51 - 67
Published on: Apr 30, 2021
Published by: Chulalongkorn University
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 6 issues per year

© 2021 Rula M. Darwish, published by Chulalongkorn University
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.