(#CovidCast) Covid-19: Vaccine Too Fast or On Time

In late 2019, the Coronavirus was isolated. According to Wikipedia, its genetic sequence was published on 11 January 2020, triggering an urgent international response to prepare for an outbreak and hasten the development of a preventive COVID-19 vaccine. Creating a vaccine in under 1 year is no small feat. While the coronavirus pandemic made a new normal of mask-wearing and physical distancing, it also spurred global cooperation for vaccine research and distribution. However, a vaccine is only effective if people are willing to receive it. With rapid research development, some may be concerned that the vaccine was rushed, and with these concerns comes vaccine hesitancy. In this episode, I sat down with Dr Solomon Cholom, a Medical Laboratory Scientist to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine development - how vaccines were rapidly made without compromising safety.