Covid-19 is still far from over, but the battle is going on. The best way to defeat a virus is by creating a vaccine to stop its spread by immunizing the population against that particular virus.
Scientists from all over the world have been researching to develop the most effective vaccine to counter the pandemic.
According to WHO, at least seven different types of vaccines have been rolled out in various countries. The vaccination process targets the most vulnerable group of the population to be the first to get vaccinated.
Around 238 million people have been vaccinated once and 91.5 million have been vaccinated fully in the world. The developed countries are assumed to be fully vaccinated by early 2022, whereas the whole world is assumed to be vaccinated by early 2023.
The seven vaccines used worldwide are as follows:
Pfizer/BioNTech
Currently used by 57 countries in the world
BNT162b2 is an mRNA vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech. The vaccine is claimed to be 95% effective against the virus after 28 days of the first dose.
Two shots are being given in the muscle of the upper arm 21 days apart.
The side effects involve pain and redness in the arm where the shot was given, followed by tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.
Oxford/AstraZeneca
Currently used by 34 countries in the world
AZD1222 is a vaccine developed by Oxford and AstraZeneca. The vaccine is claimed to be 63.09% effective against the symptomatic COVID-19 infection.
Two shots are given in the muscle of the upper arm 8-12 weeks apart.
The side effects involve redness and swelling in the arm where the shot was given, followed by headache, muscle pain, fever, chills, nausea, etc.
Moderna
Currently used by 27 countries in the world
mRNA-1273 is also an mRNA vaccine developed by ModernaTX Inc. The vaccine is claimed to be 94.1% effective against the virus after 2 weeks of the second dose.
Two shots are given in the muscle of the upper arm 28 days apart.
The side effects involve pain and redness in the arm where the shot was given, followed by tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.
Sinopharm
Currently used by 10 countries in the world
This vaccine is being developed by Sinopharm in China. The vaccine is claimed to be 79% effective against the COVID symptoms.
Two shots are given in the muscle of the upper arm.
The side effects involve redness and pain in the arm area. Other symptoms include fever, nausea, dizziness, etc.
Sputnik V
Currently used by 5 countries in the world
Gam-COVID-vac is an adenoviral-based vaccine developed by Russia. It was among the first vaccines to be announced for phase 3 trials. It reduces the time taken by the virus for its complete development in the host’s body, thus, making it weak. The efficacy reported in the trials was 92%.
The side effects reported were redness and pain in the arm area, usually for 24 hours after the shot.
Sinovac
Currently used by 5 countries in the world
Sinovac is an inactivated vaccine being developed in China. The efficacy is variable in different parts of the world, with 78% in clinical trials and ranging from 50.4% to 91.2% in different countries where it was tried.
Two shots are given in the muscle of the upper arm.
The side effects involve redness and pain in the arm area. Other symptoms include fever, nausea, dizziness, etc.
Covaxin(Bharat Biotech)
Currently used by 1 country in the world
COVAXIN is an inactivated vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in India. It is claimed to be effective against the new strain of COVID-19 in the UK. It also shows 81% efficacy against those who are not prior affected by the virus after the second dose.
It is a two-dose vaccine with a 28 days gap.
Its side effects include stiffness in the upper arm, weakness, body ache, fever and dizziness.
| Country | First Dose Given | Final Dose Given |
| India | 30,600,787 | 6,543,468 |
| Israel | 5,164,853 | 4,444,913 |
| China | 65 Million | -NA- |
| USA | 73,669,956 | 39,989,196 |
| UK | 25,273,226 | 1,759,445 |
| Russia | 5,88,360 | 2,586,420 |
Data showing the vaccination process in few countries
These are the major vaccines approved by WHO and different countries. To learn more about the latest updates on coronavirus vaccines subscribe to our free newsletter.
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