Missed Shots: Science Revisits its 2020 Breakthrough of the Year

One year after the COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough, its rollout represents both triumph and tragedy.

The speed at which COVID-19 vaccines were created and their proven efficacy surpassed scientific expectations. But their introduction to the human population proved a less than stellar event. Even though the messenger RNA vaccines provided 95% protection from severe illness, that efficacy waned over time. COVID-19 began to spawn mutations. The distribution of billions of doses faced massive logistical problems, made more difficult by a volatile political atmosphere.

Millions have been saved by the vaccines, but millions more refused the free treatment. Enough shots have been produced to vaccinate the most vulnerable on the entire planet – more than eight billion. But the shots have not been equitably distributed, resulting in hundreds of thousands of needless...