Timely use of Covid-19 vaccines could have saved thousands of lives

Earlier we, TJJ and DD, had written in IJME, that during the pandemic with high case-fatality in those above 65 and younger adults with chronic lung, heart or kidney diseases or diabetes, vaccination must be administered early as a life-saving procedure (1). It was pointed out that protection delayed may be protection denied to drive home the urgency of vaccination for saving lives. At that time, Phase III vaccine trials were in progress and we had adequate data on safety, but efficacy had yet to be measured. Good immunogenicity had already been documented in Phases I and II in which there were no signals of safety problems. Efficacy was "on promise" when we argued for early vaccination of those at risk of death.