Updated October 14, 2021, at 10:40 a.m.
In March 2020 COVID-19 almost knocked the world completely off the grid, but because of our resilience as a civilization we banded together and endured. A year later, life as we once knew it has a new pair of lenses, and we are still pressing forward.
The future is bright despite having to maintain suggested daily preventative measures, such as: wearing masks, socially distancing, and avoiding crowds. It is not within our human nature to go extended periods of time not socially engaging with other humans.
A lot of us haven't had the pleasure to see a lot of our loved ones in person, or at all, due to the virus and the risks that come with it, and sadly some of us have lost loved ones during these times as well.
But there is hope! The year 2021 brings in an un-welcomed anniversary, but it also brings in a wave of readily available vaccines. As of October 2021, there are three vaccines readily available (Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech) with Pfizer-BioNTech being the first vaccine to be approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Vaccines have a long history within our society starting around 1000 CE during the smallpox era before the first ever vaccine was created. It started with Chinese Inoculation which led to the first laboratory vaccine created by Louis Pastuer in 1879. He created the vaccine for chicken cholera (Pasteurella multocida). Click here to learn about the vaccine's timeline. For a more in-depth experience, here is an infographic by SCMP walking you through some of the more familiar types of coronavirus diseases, how they spread, and affect the human body.
We continue to learn and understand how Sars-Cov-2 (Coronavirus disease or COVID-19) works. The vaccines we currently have access to are known to be some of the fastest vaccines created to date, a title previously held by the Mumps vaccine which took 4-years. On average a typical vaccine does take about 10-15 years to be thoroughly tested, approved, and licensed. However, due to the quick spread of the Coronavirus unprecedented measures were taken to help expedite a vaccine by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the OWS (Operation Warp Speed) program was created. There are a lot of resources out there, and you'll find many of them listed below to help you continue your research and grow your understanding on the virus and the vaccinations. This will further help answer questions on what the vaccines are and what they do.
Before we have the chance to use a vaccine, it must go through 7-steps:
1. Research & Discovery
2. Pre-Clinical
3. Phase 1
4. Phase 2
5. Phase 3
6. BLA (Biologics License Application) Submitted to FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
7. Phase 4) to receive government approval.
Even after it receives approval vaccines have to be monitored regularly for further improvements. Follow this link to further understand the typical vaccine developmental process that is expected by the FDA for true vaccine safety and effectiveness.
Please note: Laboratories are still in the developmental stages for vaccines for children. To see what the process looks like click here and to further understand what the approval process looks like, click here.
(To be noted: The vaccines are recommended for people aged 16 years and older)
Benefits of getting vaccinated.
(***FDA Approved, August 2021)
Congratulations, you're fully vaccinated! Click here for how to protect yourself and others. Also listed are safety monitoring systems you can use to keep track of your symptoms. The goal is to keep you safe and those around you safe during this season of Covid-19.
List of additional Safety Monitoring Systems
General Public
Members of Military
Veterans
Tribal nations
With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) currently impacting the U.S., we have compiled a list of resources and information to help you and your family stay informed. Need assistance registering for the vaccine? Call our trained staff at 803-799-9084 for assistance, Monday - Fridays from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
For more information about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in South Carolina, click here. For additional COVID-19 resources and information, click here.