As vaccine technology advances, research and development is encouraged to focus on developing better and safer vaccines. Vaccine development involves several stages: research and discovery, proof of concept, testing, manufacturing, approval of the vaccine, recommendation for use, and monitoring safety post-approval.
During the clinical development stage, a vaccine must undergo three phases of trials before approval. Phase 4 is responsible for evaluating the new vaccine’s safety and effectiveness after it gets FDA approval. Phase 1 clinical trials study how well the vaccine works and identify any side effects. Phase 2 trials provide additional information on vaccine safety and risks. Phase 3 trials involve thousands of volunteers to evaluate the vaccine’s effectiveness. Phase 4 is an ongoing study that evaluates the vaccine’s effectiveness over a longer period.