When Covid-19 became an issue, no one was quite sure how long it would truly be in our lives. Some people thought quarantine would only last a couple of weeks, while others worried about a maximum of a couple of months. Now, at the end of 2020, Covid is still taking hundreds of lives a day and the end isn’t really in sight.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Talk of the Corona Virus Vaccine has been in circulation since the beginning of the pandemic and has made progress since. According to the New York Times, there are currently fifty-two possible vaccines that are being tested on humans with the purpose of slowing the pandemic, and preventing damage in the future. Ten of these vaccines are in their final stages of testing as well. 

In the US, we are waiting for a vaccine that is proven safe, and without any prominent negative side effects. In China and Russia, though, multiple drugs have been pushed early into use without much research into the possible outcomes. This is most likely because of the large death toll and the longer presence the virus has had in these countries. 

An issue multiple scientists and companies are facing is the lack of resources needed to carry out a mass vaccination. For example, one of the most prominent vaccines has been created by a German company called Pfizer and has shown to be 90% in the participants it was used on, but like a couple of the other vaccines proposed, it would need to be refrigerated to be used. That would require a vast amount of money to be invested in refrigeration systems across the globe and countries who couldn’t afford it would still be suffering from the pandemic. According to ABC News, the company would help by investing money in creating “freezer farms” to keep the vaccinations fresh. This doesn’t stop multiple groups from expressing concern on transportation, as keeping the vaccines cool while they are transported would be even more difficult.

While many of the vaccines each have their individual problems, it can’t be ignored that progress is still being made. Scientists around the world have come together to work on this and it has paid off, even if the progress is slow and blurry. With the current timeline, an official Covid-19 vaccine should be out next year and we, as a country, can begin to heal.