Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Dec 2023
Review[Vaccinations as a key to pandemic management - Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic].
Pandemics and epidemic outbreaks caused by emerging pathogens can usually only be curbed in the longterm through establishment of protective population-wide immunity. With the unprecedented rapid development and supply of highly effective vaccines against COVID-19, science and industry delivered the critical medical breakthrough for the successful management of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Nevertheless, the pandemic and its consequences for medicine, science, and society continue to reverberate. This article reviews at the development and implementation of COVID-19 vaccines, focusing on the situation in Germany, and seeks to draw lessons from the past three years to improve our readiness to combat future outbreaks and pandemics more effectively.