What can I do about COVID-19?

My name is Gordon Doig and I am an epidemiologist who has worked in critical care for more than 20 years. I live in Sydney, NSW, Australia. Like you, I have tried to keep up to date on the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) that started in Wuhan, China. Because I don't see a lot of truly useful information coming from the mainstream media, I have been going directly to credible sources like the World Health Organisation. The purpose of this page is to describe in plain language what the WHO recommends and to provide links to WHO content so you can understand exactly what they are saying.

Interactive graphs: World HotSpots, US HotSpots and World Map

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Should I get vaccinated?

The WHO recommends that you should "Take whatever vaccine is made available to you first, even if you have already had COVID-19. It is important to be vaccinated as soon as possible once it’s your turn and not wait."

If supplies are limited in your area, discuss your situation with your care provider if you:

  • Have a compromised immune system
  • Are pregnant (if you are already breastfeeding, you should continue after vaccination)
  • Have a history of severe allergies, particularly to a vaccine (or any of the ingredients in the vaccine)
  • Are severely frail
As of 3 June 2021, the WHO has also evaluated that the following vaccines against COVID-19 have met the necessary criteria for safety and efficacy:
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Additional information from the WHO on COVID-19 vaccines available here.

Frequently asked questions and answers on vaccination addressed by the WHO:

  • Frequently asked questions and answers specific to COVID-19 vaccines: click the image to visit WHO Q&A site

  • General questions on vaccines and immunization: click the image to visit WHO Q&A site

  • Questions on general vaccine safety: click the image to visit WHO Q&A site

To improve your background understanding of vaccines, here is a series of educational tutorials from the WHO:
  • How do vaccines work? click the image to visit tutorial

  • How are vaccines developed? click the image to visit tutorial

  • Manufacturing, safety and quality control of vaccines: click the image to visit tutorial


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Any questions or comments please contact Gordon.Doig@EvidenceBased.net
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Page last modified on 9 July 2021.