Coronavirus Disease-19: Vaccine Production and Development

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which emerged in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, is now rampantly spreading worldwide. There is a serious need for ultimate treatment of the disease, to stop the spread of the virus globally. In these unprecedented times, vaccines can play a pivotal role in strengthening the immunity of the community. Many drugs are being prescribed in hospital setups to treat the disease caused by the virus. Most of these drugs act as tools for symptomatic relief and palliative care in individuals. A noteworthy drug, favipiravir is being used in some countries like India, for COVID-19 positive patients, who have been hospitalized, in a debilitated state. However, drugs provide a cure at an individual level, but to control such a massive pandemic, a safe and efficacious vaccine is needed. Vaccines are the tools that have a huge impact on “herd immunity.” Not only the researchers but also the general public are eagerly anticipating the development of the vaccine so that they can be relieved of the multiple lockdowns and can rest assured. Unless a safe and efficacious vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is developed, there is always a risk of new outbreaks of the disease. This article highlights some important points that help us feed the curiosities, with information on, what is a vaccine? Why do we need a vaccine for COVID-19? How will the vaccine develop