What does it take to supply COVID-19 vaccines across the globe? Here's how the leading players are working it

As COVID-19 gained steam worldwide last spring, little was known about the disease and the havoc it would wreak on the world. A year later, vaccines offer hope in the global fight against the virus, but it will be a monumental task to produce them and deliver them around the planet.

That these vaccines were invented, put through clinical testing and either have been rolled out or are nearing distribution is an accomplishment in itself, but the work is really just starting. The companies leading the charge aim to produce billions of doses to vaccinate the world's population, and encouraging real-world data from the ongoing rollouts are showing why it's such an important effort.

Meanwhile, as variants spread and experts weigh the need for boosters, more production capacity will be all the more important in 2021 and beyond.