COVID-19 has been present in our society for nearly a year. During this time — while communities are continuing to follow mask mandates, social distance guidelines, and more — scientists and doctors have been trying to find a working vaccine for the virus.

Organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been providing consistent updates on new findings for the vaccine.

The CDC has been informing the general public through its website, sharing multiple news stories, each with its own information on the coronavirus and its vaccine.

In one of their articles, they discussed the different types of vaccines that are being tested. While no vaccine has been approved for the public, “clinical trials are in progress or being planned for five COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.”

The five types are the AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna, Novavax and the Pfizer vaccines. 

According to the CDC, the COVID-19 vaccines will teach our bodies how to fight off the virus in future instances. It would take a few weeks to develop this effect. 

In another article from the CDC, they discussed eight important pieces of information on the generality of the vaccine. 

They mainly talked about how distribution would work and how some would receive the vaccine before others, depending on the level of risk and age. The CDC also said they prioritize the safety of the vaccines.

As of recently, there has been promising new findings for the vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is experiencing success and is providing hope for those working on it.

As reported by BBC News, different vaccines have different pros and cons. For example, the Moderna vaccine would protect 94.5% of people and the data from tests with the AstraZeneca vaccine showed that older people would have a very strong immune response. 

With hopes of distribution in the near future, there are still many things to be done with the vaccines, BBC News said. The vaccines have to be proved to be safe, and since billions of people must be vaccinated, development must happen for this amount of “potential doses.”

So while waiting for this vaccine, there are ways to prevent contracting the virus. According to Mayo Clinic, avoiding close contact, following social distance guidelines and wearing masks can help protect against COVID-19.

Mayo Clinic also said that keeping up with washing your hands, covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, and avoiding the sharing of cups or dishes can help an individual stay healthy and safe.