The Application of Covid-19 Testing and Vaccine Globally

The Application of COVID-19 Testing and Vaccines Globally and The Differences Among Them
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a significant challenge to the global health system as the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread to all countries, with over 600 million confirmed cases and over 6 million deaths. Governments have implemented various control measures in response to the pandemic including lockdowns, curfews, testing, and vaccination. This paper presents a literature investigation of the application of COVID-19 testing and vaccination globally and the differences among them. Particularly, there is a lack of standardization in applying COVID-19 testing and vaccines globally. The study established that there are various strategies being used for COVID-19 testing and vaccination globally. Some countries focus on mass testing and contact tracing, while others prioritize vaccination of high-risk groups. The study further notes that there are many types of COVID-19 vaccines available, each with its advantages and disadvantages; Pfizer vaccine is one of the most effective, with a 95% efficacy rate, AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective, with an efficacy rate of 62% and the Novavax vaccine is the least effective, with an efficiency rate of 50%. The study also establishes that the COVID-19 vaccination will have implications toward future pandemics responses. To begin with, the development of COVID-19 vaccines was unusually fast, which means there is potential for rapid growth of vaccine development for other diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Additionally, with COVID-19 vaccine distribution challenges being tackled, new logistics solutions and distribution channels have been established to handle similar or greater pandemics in future.
Background
The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a significant challenge to the global health system. According to Akarsu et al. (2020), the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread to all countries, with over 600 million cases and over six million deaths (Falahi & Kenarkoohi, 2021). Governments have implemented various control measures in response to the pandemics including lockdowns, curfews, testing, and vaccination. There is a lack of standardization in applying COVID-19 testing and vaccine globally. While some countries have adopted mass testing and vaccination programs, others have been more selective in their approach. The differences in approach are likely due to various factors, including the availability of resources, the stage of the pandemic in the country, and the country's population. The literature on COVID-19 testing and vaccination is limited. However, Beatty et al. (2021) indicates that a few studies have been conducted on the efficacy of different test types and vaccine types. These studies have shown that PCR and antibody tests are the most accurate, while vaccines based on inactivated viruses are the most effective. More research is needed on the application of COVID-19 testing and vaccine globally.
According to Falahi & Kenarkoohi (2021), developed countries generally have better access to testing and vaccines and have implemented them more effectively. This is due to several factors, including better infrastructure and more resources. On the other hand, developing coun...