RNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates with Clinical Phase Trials in Progress.

Rudvan Al, Leyla Ipek; Sönmezer, Meliha Çağla; Ünal, Serhat

Due to the COVID-19 infection, which was recognized as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, the number of cases and disease-related deaths increases day by day globally. For this reason, antiviral agents used in treatment and vaccines, the most effective weapon in prevention, continue to be the most popular topic of the agenda. Several situations are expected to affect the course of the pandemic. The loss of the ability of the virus to mutate and cause disease, the fact that those who become immunized by having the disease in the society reach a critical rate and create social immunity (herd immunity), and the provision of social immunity with effective vaccination can be counted as some of these situations. Vaccination trials, which started due to the seriousness and urgency of our situation that we are in, continue exceptionally quickly and effectively. As per the WHO's data on April 9, 2021, there have been 273 vaccine trials, 87 of which are in the clinical phase, and 12 (14%) of the vaccine candidates in the clinical phase are RNA-based vaccines. Also, the number of RNA-based vaccines with ongoing preclinical trials is 24. This review aimed to examine COVID-19 vaccine candidates using RNA technology and compile its current data.