Accelerated COVID-19 vaccine development: milestones, lessons, and prospects

Abstract

The development of effective vaccines to combat infectious diseases is a complex multi-year and multi-stakeholder process. To accelerate the development of vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel pathogen emerging in late 2019 and spreading globally by early 2020, the United States government (USG) mounted an operation bridging public and private sector expertise and infrastructure. The success of the endeavor can be seen in the rapid advanced development of multiple vaccine candidates, with several demonstrating efficacy and now being administered around the globe. Here, we review the milestones enabling the USG-led effort, the methods utilized, and ensuing outcomes. We discuss the current status of COVID-19 vaccine development and provide a perspective for how partnership and preparedness can be better utilized in response to future public-health pandemic emergencies.

Figure 1

Milestones and events leading to the successful development of COVID-19 vaccines Key events leading to the accelerated development of COVID-19 vaccines, including insights from previous research that contributed to the scientific rationale underlying vaccine design.

Figure 2

Graphical timeline of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations and percentage of population receiving vaccine (A) Adult population age 18 and over. (B) Age-specific reported cases (age ≥65), hospital admissions (>60 and <60), and percentage of population vaccinated (≥65). Source: Aggregate metrics sourced from HHS Protect. Jurisdictions not reporting age-specific vaccine administration information omitted from population percentages. Totals may not represent full values.