Abstract
The global drive to vaccinate against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in December 2020 with countries in Europe, Middle East, and North America leading the roll out of a mass-vaccination program. This systematic review synthesised all available English-language guidelines and research regarding mass-vaccination for COVID-19 until 1 March 2021—the first three months of the global mass-vaccination effort. Data were extracted from national websites, PubMed, Embase, Medline and medRxiv, including peer and non-peer review research findings. A total of 15 national policy documents were included. Policies were summarised according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) framework for mass vaccination. All included policies prioritised front-line health care workers and the elderly. Limited information was available regarding staffing, cold chain, communication strategies and infrastructure requirements for effective vaccine delivery. A total of 26 research studies were identified, reporting roll-out strategies, vaccine uptake and reasons for refusal, adverse effects, and real-life estimates of efficacy. Early data showed a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 cases, hospitalisation and deaths in settings with good coverage. Very low rates of vaccine-related serious adverse events were observed. These findings provide an overview of current practice and early outcomes of COVID-19 mass-vaccination, guiding countries where roll-out is yet to commence.
Highlights
By the end of January 2021, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was responsible for more than 100 million infections and 2.5 million deaths globally [1]
We performed a systematic search of the PubMed, Medline, Embase and medRxiv databases using the following terms for title/abstract: “SARS-CoV-2”, “covid*”, “coronavirus” and “vaccine”
Included national policy documents in this study provide an insight into the prioritisation and infrastructure requirements of a COVID-19 mass-vaccination system
Summary
By the end of January 2021, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was responsible for more than 100 million infections and 2.5 million deaths globally [1]. Vulnerable communities and ethnic minorities have shouldered high physical, psychological, social, and economic burdens [2,3]. While the implementation of border restrictions, social distancing and infection control practices has curtailed the pandemic in some settings, such measures do not provide a feasible long-term solution, given that SARS CoV-2 has become an endemic virus [4]. Vaccination has the potential to substantially reduce the incidence of severe disease, morbidity, and mortality, especially if "herd immunity" can be attained. The variable efficacy reported with different vaccines has been the source of much scientific debate and media speculation
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