Скачать или смотреть Virus, Vaccines, Variants - a fast moving story: Tips for Journalists covering COVID-19

The virus that causes COVID-19 started hitting the headlines in late 2019. Within a month, some of the early vaccine science was already underway.

Less than a year later, by December 2020, vaccine rollout was in motion in parts of the world. The journal Nature called this “lightning-fast.”

Also in December 2020, news of the emergence of virus variants caused concern and the key question became: will the vaccines and vaccine candidates be effective against variants of SARS-CoV-2?

Incredibly, scientists already have some answers to questions about the variants. And some questions are unanswered.

The virus, vaccines and variants will continue to dominate headlines in 2021.

How can journalists help their audiences through this story, with its elements of ground-breaking science, concerns about access and logistical hurdles ahead? And how does the work of journalists foster confidence in vaccines?