It's been over a year since COVID-19 first appeared and the virus continues to be a problem in many parts of the world, scientists have realized the development of vaccines (疫苗) is a solution to the pandemic. A global effort to vaccinate as many people as possible would be needed, since vaccines typically take years to develop.
On Dec 2, 2020, the first COVID vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine, was approved (批准) by UK health department. However, these vaccines must be stored at very low temperatures, which is not possible everywhere. In response, Chinese companies like Sinopharm and Sinovac have developed vaccines that can be kept at normal temperatures.
Now, vaccines are being rolled out all over the world, with millions of people being vaccinated every day. In China, 285 million vaccine doses (剂量) had been given so far. Meanwhile, the US has given out 247 million doses. The UK now stands at 50 million doses.
Although there have been rumors about vaccines being unsafe, most of people seem to realize the importance of vaccination for building mass immunity (群体免疫) in order to stop the vims from spreading. The world has come to understand that the vaccines will protect us. Therefore, sharing vaccines has become a key factor of staying safe and healthy worldwide.
Unfortunately, not everyone can get the vaccine yet. Children below the age of 16 can't be vaccinated because they have not yet been tested on them. Those who have a history of vaccine allergies (过敏) shouldn't get it, either.
