About this course

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The virus slowly spread around the world, and a global pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Vaccine development proceeded at an unprecedented rate, due to enormous financial backing and public interest, and the first commercial vaccine was introduced in November 2020. This e-learning module summarizes the different characteristics of the available COVID-19 vaccines, and the benefits and expected side effects of each vaccine.

Learning outcomes

• Understand the history of the COVID-19 pandemic, who are at increased risk of complications, and how the severity of the disease is determined
• Recognize the benefits of vaccination over symptomatic care in COVID-19
• Learn the basic differences between currently available vaccines
• Advise patients on the benefits and expected side effects of available COVID-19 vaccines

Topics covered

• COVID-19: brief history, high risk groups, severity guide
• COVID-19 Vaccines: characteristics of available brands, benefits & side effects, effect on SARS-CoV-2 variants
• Importance of good doctor-patient relationship in discussing and addressing vaccine hesitancy