An Overview of COVID-19 Pandemic: Emphasis on Vaccines and Unvaccinated

Since December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (causing Coronavirus disease 2019” (COVID-19) has rapidly spread around the world and it is responsible for more than 187 million cases diagnosed and 5 million deaths. Health, education, and economic threats caused governments and institutions to take preventive measures against the spread of the disease. At the city levels the measures include shutdown of businesses such as cinemas and theaters, cancellation of other mass gatherings, school closure, closing workplace. At the individual level preventive and control measures include face masks, frequent hand washing, and getting vaccinated. Various platforms for vaccine development are available with each proven to be relatively safe and highly effective at preventing the infection and serious illness from COVID-19. However, a growing number of peoples around the world are reluctant to receive recommendations or expressing hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy is defined as the delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccine despite availability of vaccine services. This review is aimed at providing an overview of COVID-19 with more emphasis on vaccines and vaccine hesitancy.