A deadly fight between vaccines and the virus – who will win

To date, more than 3.19 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines have been made worldwide. This is the largest vaccination campaign in human history.

According to Bloomberg, the average daily vaccination rate in 180 countries is about 39.4 million doses per day. The total figure of 3.19 billion doses corresponds to full vaccination of 20.8% of the world’s population. In the United States, 331 million doses have been administered so far, with an average daily vaccination rate of 1.04 million doses in the past week.

However, uneven distribution of drugs remains a problem – the vaccination campaign in rich countries is 30 times faster than in poor ones. Israel became the first state to demonstrate a nationwide vaccination effect. By February, over 84% of people aged 70 and over had received two doses. Against the backdrop of a successful campaign, severe morbidity and mortality declined rapidly. Great Britain has shown similar results.

While it is generally accepted that the best approved vaccines are 95% effective, a coordinated campaign is required to stop the pandemic. Anthony Fauci, the chief infectious disease specialist in the United States, said that only vaccination of 70% to 85% of the population will allow a return to normal life.

Globally, this is an alarming rate of vaccination. At the current rate of 39.4 million people a day, it will take another full year to achieve high levels of universal immunity. But this figure is growing, and new vaccines from other manufacturers appear on the market.

Now this is a life-and-death struggle between the vaccine and the virus. New strains threaten a resumption of outbreaks. The effect of early vaccination is often outweighed by other factors: viral mutations, mask effectiveness, seasonality, and social distancing. Over time, however, high vaccination rates are bound to limit the burden of Covid-19 worldwide.

Data collected from government agencies, public statements, Bloomberg interviews, Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker, World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University.

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