Success of COVID-19 vaccination program depends on its implementation

Factors related to manufacturing, distribution, public acceptance, and the severity of the pandemic will contribute more to the success of a potential COVID-19 vaccination program than the efficacy of the vaccine itself, finds a new study conducted by the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH). The research, published Nov. 19 in Health Affairs, comes as the global effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is poised to produce one or more candidates approved for large-scale distribution. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is grappling to define the evidence it will require to authorize COVID-19 vaccines in the months ahead. For instance, would a vaccine that has a limited impact on transmission but significantly reduces progression to severe disease be acceptable? Alternatively, how might such a vaccine be compared to one that lowers susceptibility to infection but has no impact on disease progression? Once vaccination begins, what individual and public health...