When cases of a mysterious form of pneumonia came to light in 2019, few worldwide appreciated the gravity of the situation. By January 2020, however, reality was dawning: humanity was locked in a race against time in a battle with a deadly new virus – a novel coronavirus about to acquire worldwide notoriety: SARS-CoV-2. With the virus rapidly spreading and the world reeling in the wake of its onslaught, the immediate priority had to be to contain the spread of this killer. But in the long run, a more durable strategy would be required: to strengthen the human body's natural defenses against disease by developing a vaccine to stop the virus in its tracks.

But though vaccination isn't a new weapon in humanity's age-old war with infection, as an exciting new two-part series "Racing Against the Coronavirus" demonstrates, developing a workable vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 has been anything but child's play. Detailing the mind-boggling scientific problems that had to be overcome before work could even begin on developing the vaccine itself, this series is a glowing testament to the dedication and devotion of the scientists who worked night and day in their race against the coronavirus. But more than that it also pays tribute to the host of unsung heroes who played their role: if a safe and effective vaccine was to play a genuinely practical role in building up humanity's wall of immunity, a host of technical, industrial and logistical obstacles had to be overcome before it could be produced in significant quantities and dispatched to the frontline – not just in China but across the whole world.

But though the successful development and rollout of vaccines has brought hope to the world, this series strikes a sober, cautionary note: the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants demonstrates that humanity is grappling with a cunning, shape-shifting enemy capable of evading the best defenses the finest scientific brains can devise. Constant vigilance will be required for the foreseeable future.

Join us at CGTN Documentary for an exciting scientific expose of China's heroic campaign to build a Great Wall of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and establish a worldwide community of health for all mankind.

Watch the documentary here:

Racing Against the Coronavirus Ep. 1: Concerted Efforts

Racing Against the Coronavirus Ep. 2: For a Shared Future