COVID-19 vaccine development has happened faster than usual but the process has been thorough. raisingchildren.net.au has worked in partnership with the Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre to provide a suite of vaccine resources so families can make informed decisions about vaccination.
Vaccine development: a guide for families provides clear and reliable information on how the COVID-19 vaccine development and approval process ensures safety, effectiveness and quality. It also covers how government, research organisations and pharmaceutical companies have come together to speed up the COVID-19 vaccine development process in the following ways:
- More money than usual has been invested in the development process.
- Some of the clinical trial phases have happened at the same time. Usually the phases happen one after the other.
- There’s a lot of COVID-19 cases in the community. This means it’s easier for scientists to assess whether the vaccines are working.
- More people have been willing to take part in clinical trials.
- Scientists worked out the virus’s genetic sequence early on in the pandemic, and they shared this information with other scientists.
- Companies have manufactured vaccines before clinical trials were finished.
Vaccine immunity: how vaccines prevent infectious disease outlines how the immune system works, how vaccines work to destroy viruses and contribute to herd immunity, and why different groups like children and pregnant women have different vaccine needs.
More resources are currently in development, including advice about COVID-19 vaccination for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy.
It’s hoped that these resources will provide families with some reassurance around getting the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as giving service providers a useful tool in their work with families.
These new vaccine resources are a new addition to Raising Children Network’s COVID-19: family guide.