The site is no longer updated. The last update was carried out on 11th August 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted numerous research institutes and companies to develop vaccine candidates targeting this novel disease.
First launched in April 2020, this tracker was developed by the
Vaccine Centre
at the
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
to follow candidates as they progressed through the development pipeline.
Weekly or monthly updates of the tracker were performed between April 2020 and August 2022.
Read our
Correspondence
in
Lancet Global Health
for further details.
All data and code are available via the LSHTM Vaccine Centre's
Github page.
Key attributes of registered COVID-19 vaccine trials
Efficacy trial map
Map of ongoing phase III trials as of Jan 2022
Living review
Published data on safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy
Implementation
Summary of vaccine distribution information
FAQs
More on the vaccine development process
The site is no longer updated. The last update was carried out on 11th August 2022.
Our vaccine landscape summarises information from the
WHO,
the
Milken Institute
and
clinicaltrials.gov.
We are also grateful for additional information provided directly by vaccine developers.
All data and code are available via the LSHTM Vaccine Centre's
Github page.
Click on trial numbers to access the published protocols.
Candidates listed above as being in phase III include several undergoing combined phase II/III trials.
The site is no longer updated. The last update was carried out on 11th August 2022.
For each update, we searched
clinicaltrials.gov
for studies of COVID-19 vaccine candidates and extracted key attributes from the registered protocols.
Additional trials were identified using the
WHO COVID-19 vaccine landscape.
Trials are listed by decreasing size. Only trials with a registered protocol are included. We excluded observational studies as well as intervention trials evaluating the influence of other treatments on COVID-19 vaccine outcome.
From February 2022 onwards, we no longer incorporated protocol modifications that occured after a trial was registered. Details such as sample size, start date, and primary completion date are subject to change.
The latest version of the published protocols can be obtained by clicking on the trial number.
Abbreviations:
aAPC: artificial antigen presenting cell;
AZLB: Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical;
BIBP: Beijing Institute of Biological Products;
BWBP: Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy;
CAMS: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences;
CIGB: Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology;
FBRI SRC VB: Federal Budgetary Research Institution State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology;
KBP: Kentucky BioProcessing;
LV-SMENP-DC: vaccine comprising dendritic cells (DCs) modified with lentivirus (LV) vectors expressing 'SMENP' minigene;
NVSI: National Vaccine and Serum Institute;
ODIR: Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research;
PLA-AMS: People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Science;
SGMI: Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute;
STRC: Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey;
WIBP: Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.
The site is no longer updated. The last update was carried out on 11th August 2022.
Approach
This living review summarises available clinical trial data (phase I to phase III) on different COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
Between 24 August 2020 and 11 August 2022, we performed weekly (up to September 2021) or monthly (September 2021 onwards) searches of
medRxiv
and
PubMed
(see
Search log
below) using the R packages
medrxivr
and
easyPubMed.
Titles and abstracts were screened to identify articles reporting outcome data from human clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
Additional preprints were identified using the
WHO COVID-19 vaccine landscape.
Search term
"(coronavirus OR COVID OR SARS*) AND vaccin* AND (trial OR phase)"
Data extraction
We extracted data on the following study attributes:
Design:
location, number and age of individuals enrolled, vaccine dose, etc.
Safety profile:
serious adverse events as well as non-serious adverse events with ≥25% prevalence in one or more study groups.
Immunogenicity:
pre- and post-vaccination levels of antigen-specific IgG (ELISA), neutralising antibody levels against live SARS-CoV-2 and/or pseudoviruses, and/or T-cell responses.
We present antibody and T-cell outcomes 28 days post-vaccination or the nearest available timepoint.
Efficacy:
protective efficacy against COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and/or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Where available, we present the profile (age, ethnicity, and comorbidity prevalence) of the study population, as well as vaccine efficacy
estimates stratified by relevant covariates (dose regimen, age group, ethnicity, and presence of comorbidities).
Planned next steps
for clinical testing and/or manufacture. See
Implementation
tab for additional details.
Data extraction was performed for all peer-reviewed manuscripts. Links are provided to all preprints.
Protocol update
Data extraction was performed for all eligible peer-reviewed manuscripts published up until 31st May 2021 and all efficacy studies published up until 30th June 2021.
New articles published between 1st July 2021 and 11th August 2022 are summarised in the table below, but full data extraction was not performed.
Eligible studies
Total number of studies included:
225
Abbreviations:
AZLB: Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical; BIBP: Beijing Institute of Biological Products; BWBP: Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise; CAMS: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; GPO: Government Pharmaceutical Organization; IIBR: Israel Institute for Biological Research; nr: non-replicating; IVAC, Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals; r: replicating; RIBSP: Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems; WIBP: Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.
Notes:
Phase I and phase II data extracted separately for WIBP inactivated vaccine (Xia; JAMA 2020), BBIBP-CorV (Xia; Lancet Infect Dis 2020), Sinovac CoronaVac (Zhang; Lancet Infect Dis 2020), AZLB ZF2001 (Yang; Lancet Infect Dis 2021), and Shenzhen Kangtai KCONVAC (Pan; Chin Med J 2021).
Search log
Description of vaccine
Trial attributes
Vaccine efficacy
We present protective efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and/or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.
We present data on any
serious adverse events
(potentially life-threatening: requires assessment in A&E or hospitalisation) and
common adverse events
(≥25% prevalence in one or more study groups) relating to the test vaccine.
Serious adverse events:
Common adverse events (local): Common adverse events (systemic):
Antibody response
We present antibody levels measured 28 days post-vaccination or the nearest available timepoint.
Where multiple types of antibody were measured, we prioritise (i) antigen-specific ELISA (IgG);
(ii) neutralisation of live SARS-CoV-2; and (iii) neutralisation of a pseudovirus modified to express SARS-CoV-2 antigens.
The site is no longer updated. The last update was carried out on 11th August 2022.
Equity of vaccine roll-out
Vaccines against COVID-19 are now being rolled out across the globe. However, we are falling considerably short of achieving equitable global distribution.
In the plot below, each circle represents a country, with circle size corresponding to population size. Hover over the circles for additional details.
Testing and implementation status of vaccines authorised for limited or full use as of 11th August 2022
Abbreviations: AZLB, Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical;
CAMS, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences;
CIGB, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology;
IMB, Institute of Medical Biology;
nr, non-replicating;
NVSI, National Vaccine and Serum Institute;
ODIR, Organization of Defensive/Innovation and Research;
RIBSP, Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems;
VLP, virus-like particle.
Candidates approved for widespread use in one or more countries are included.
Source for N countries reporting use:
Our World in Data.
What is a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are research studies that are used to determine if a new vaccine is safe and effective. In our
animated video on clinical trials
below, we describe the four phases of vaccine clinical trials and the steps it takes to license a vaccine.
Phase I
is an initial trial with a small group of healthy volunteers and usually takes a few months.
Phase II
examines consistency of the vaccine, any potential side effects and the presence of immune response expected. This phase can last several months.
Phase III
gathers robust data on safety and efficacy and can last several years as it usually involves thousands of volunteers.
Phase IV
occurs after the vaccine is licenced and used in the public. This phase continues for as long as the vaccine is being used in the community and monitors the vaccine’s benefits and any side effects.
What's in a vaccine?
Each ingredient in every vaccine is present for a very specific purpose and ouranimated video on vaccines
below explores what goes into a vaccine and why.
The main ingredient in any vaccine is the antigen, which is a small part of the virus or bacterium being targeted.
The antigen is the ingredient in the vaccine that challenges our immune system to generate the right defences.
Some vaccines add an adjuvant to the antigen to help strengthen and lengthen your body’s immune response.
Stabilisers are used to help the active ingredients to remain effective while the vaccine is made, stored, and moved.
Antibiotics and preservatives are sometimes used in the manufacturing process of some vaccines however these elements aren’t in the final vaccine.
The patient information leaflet that comes with every vaccine tells you exactly what was used in making the vaccine, what is still in it and how much is in the final product.
How do we know that vaccines are safe?
How safe are vaccines? How do we know that vaccines are safe? Our
animated video on vaccine safety
below explores the safety measures in place throughout the entire vaccine development process, from the four clinical trial phases and through to the use of vaccines in the community.
What are the different types of vaccine?
All vaccines expose our immune system to antigens from a specific pathogen, but they do this in a variety of ways.
A summary of the key vaccine types being developed for COVID-19 is provided in the table below.