COVID-19 vaccine FAQs: Efficacy, immunity to illness vs. infection (yes, they’re different), new variants and the likelihood of eradication
COVID-19 vaccine FAQs: Efficacy, immunity to illness vs. infection (yes, they’re different), new variants and the likelihood of eradication
By Dasantila Golemi-Kotra
Professor, Biology, York University
As of March 8, four COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for emergency use in Canada. Two of them, the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, were approved for use in Canada in December 2020. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved on Feb. 26, followed by the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on March 5.
A fifth vaccine was submitted on Jan. 29 by Novavax for approval in Canada. If approved, the vaccine would be produced in Canada.
How effective these vaccines may be in ending the COVID-19 pandemic has been equated to their “efficacy rates.” It’s important to know what these numbers mean to understand what can be expected from these vaccines and the ones that follow.
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