When the COVID-19 outbreak was officially declared a global health emergency in January 2020, the world had no idea of the kind of turmoil that would come next.

For more than 3 years, health and care workers, organizations and governments across the world fought to develop, deliver and administer a vaccine that would help save lives. On 5 May 2023, the COVID-19 global health emergency was officially declared over by the World Health Organization.

These are the numbers and stories behind these efforts – the efforts that would go on to defy what we thought was possible, and shape the knowledge we carry into the future.