Since early this year the world has been in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic.
As WHO and partners work together on the response tracking the pandemic, advising on critical interventions, distributing vital medical supplies to those in need, they are also racing to find a vaccine.
Vaccines save millions of lives each year. Vaccines work by training and preparing the body`s natural defences—the immune system — to recognize and fight off the viruses and bacteria they target. If the body is exposed to those disease causing germs later, the body is ready to destroy them preventing illness.
There are currently more than 100 COVID-19 vaccine candidates under development, with a number of these in the human trial phase.
WHO is working in collaboration with scientists, business & global health organizations through the ACT accelerator to speed up the pandemic response.
When a safe and effective vaccine is found, COVAX (led by WHO, GAVI & CEPI) will facilitate the equitable access & distribution of these vaccines to protect people in all countries. People most at risk will be prioritized.
R&D Blueprint
The R&D Blueprint was activated to accelerate diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for this novel coronavirus. The Blueprint aims to improve coordination between scientists and global health professionals, accelerate the research and development process, and develop new norms and standards to learn from and improve upon the global response.
Draft landscape of COVID-19 vaccine candidates
The draft landscape of COVID-19 vaccine candidates contains information on vaccine candidates collected through public information (e.g. clinical trial registries) and information that were directly provided by vaccine developers to WHO.
The landscape is generally updated twice a week, based on the latest information, including those we receive from scientists and research.
