COVID-19 Vaccines: The Current Candidates in Phase III Trials .

As global hopes turn toward vaccination as the only realistic path to herd immunity, several COVID-19 vaccines have moved rapidly through development, with multiple candidates already in phase III trials. These include mRNA platforms from Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna, viral-vector vaccines from Oxford–AstraZeneca and CanSino, and inactivated vaccines from Sinovac and Sinopharm. Early data suggest encouraging immune responses, but questions remain about long-term safety, durability, manufacturing capacity, and equitable distribution. Even with accelerated review, broad public access is unlikely until mid- to late-2021, underscoring the need to balance speed with rigorous evaluation while preparing for the complex rollout that will follow.