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As researchers and pharmaceutical firms continue to inch closer toward approval for the COVID-19 vaccine, there are a handful of crucial facts one should keep in mind about the vaccine, according to Bridge Michigan. 

Since it was first announced, some segments of the public have had concerns that the vaccine would be rushed and thus could be unsafe for consumption due to a relentless drive for profit on the part of major pharmaceutical companies who have been working on developing a vaccine.

Arnold Monto, an infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan, who is slated to chair the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, broke down a list of questions and fears for the public in a recent online presentation entitled “Is the End in Sight? An Inside Look at the COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Approval Process."

“There's no incentive for companies to do this, unless they're really convinced that they can make money and their vaccine will prove superior," Monto told Bridge Michigan. When Monto says "superior," he means more effective than counterpart vaccines. 

A promising development of two leading vaccines is their effectiveness, which is upwards of 94%. One vaccine is being produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and another by Moderna, both of which Monto will be evaluating in the coming weeks. 

Of course, there will be a long line for vaccine recipients, with health care providers being the first to receive the vaccine when it is approved. Monto said it is perfectly reasonable to conclude that the entire population could be vaccinated by “late winter into the spring." Children will most likely be the last group to receive a vaccine, as studies have not yet been conducted on them.

In terms of side effects, only "mild" and "acceptable" symptoms have been found, according to Monto. “There is no indication that we're going to have any surprises, but obviously, you don't know what's going to happen… Safety monitoring is going to continue,” he told Bridge Michigan.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will require a double dosage a month apart, which is different from other vaccines that typically only require one dose to inoculate the recipient. 

It appears, tentatively, that the U.S. is rounding a corner with the coronavirus pandemic as an effective vaccine is poised to roll off the assembly line.