Development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines for those most vulnerable
Wayne C. Koff, Theodore Schenkelberg, Tere Williams, Ralph S. Baric, Adrian B. McDermott, Cheryl Cameron, Mark J. Cameron, Matthew B. Frieman, Gabriele Neumann, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Alyson A. Kelvin, Ted M. Ross, Stacey Schultz‐Cherry, Timothy D. Mastro, Frances Priddy, Kristine A. Moore, Julie Ostrowsky, Michael T. Osterholm, Jaap Goudsmit
Abstract
Development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is a global priority and the best hope for ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Remarkably, in less than 1 year, vaccines have been developed and shown to be efficacious and are already being deployed worldwide. Yet, many challenges remain. Immune senescence and comorbidities in aging populations and immune dysregulation in populations living in low-resource settings may impede vaccine effectiveness. Distribution of vaccines among these populations where vaccine access is historically low remains challenging. In this Review, we address these challenges and provide strategies for ensuring that vaccines are developed and deployed for those most vulnerable.