In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. Given the urgent need for vaccines against COVID-19, huge financial investments and global scientific collaborations have been made to develop effective and safe vaccines. To date, WHO has included five COVID-19 vaccines, comprising BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech), mRNA-1273 (Moderna), AZD1222 (AstraZeneca), Ad26.COV2.S (Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen), and BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) under WHO Emergency Use Listing as they are considered to meet the necessary criteria for safety and efficacy. In Korea, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered since February 2021, and three more COVID-19 vaccines are scheduled for incorporation till the end of 2021. This article focuses on the clinical and technical considerations of COVID-19 vaccinations to provide accurate and safe guidance for healthcare practitioners. A brief review of COVID-19 vaccines to be introduced in Korea is also summarized.

Keywords: COVID-19 , COVID-19 vaccines , COVID-19 pandemics