COVID-19 vaccination could not be a timelier subject because one in thirteen Americans has already suffered from the infection, which carries a single-digit mortality rate. Survival has improved from March 2020 when the pathophysiology of the virus was not well understood and the treatment was not as effective as current therapy.
In addition to the obvious and essential—physical distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and avoiding crowds—one can decrease the chance of contracting the disease by over 90 percent by getting vaccinated. Over 70 percent of Americans surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation want the vaccine. The percentage of those willing to be vaccinated drops with lower socio-economic status.[1] Hopefully, this prejudice can be reversed with effective education communicated sensitively.
Currently, confusion as to the hold-up of getting the vaccine reigns. This unfortunate compounding and anxiety-producing factor can be somewhat mitigated by understanding the three-step process of administering the vaccine to entire populations.
The first step was to develop a new vaccine. That process and testing was competed in under six months—an outstanding accomplishment. Traditionally, five to ten years would be the norm, but research into mRNA vaccines had been ongoing for over a decade.
The second step is to manufacture the vaccine in bulk quantities. “One batch of vaccine, consisting of a couple thousand doses, may take 2-6 weeks to go from starting with raw materials to being a completed vaccine in a vial or syringe,” according to Jennifer Pancorbo, a North Carolina State bio-manufacturing expert.[2] Vaccines are produced with the help of microorganisms like bacteria or yeast. The selected organism’s genes are “instructed” to produce the desired vaccine. The desired product is separated from the microorganisms and subsequently added to the vehicle used to carry the injection into one’s arm muscle. Every batch must be tested for purity and potency.
The third step is to distribute the vaccine widely, safely, and ethically. Initially, delays occurred while the vaccine was still readily available. Using existing technology to make appointments, transport vaccine, and validate completion, vaccination advanced rapidly for a few weeks. As distribution matured across the nation, although not uniformly, the stockpile of vaccine was depleted.
At the time of this communication, the focus on step two, manufacturing, may be the critical delay. The biological process to make a batch can be accelerated only so much; more batches can be made at the same time provided the “factories” can be expanded. Nonetheless, uncertainty persists as the CEO of Pfizer on January 12, 2021 stated his company has, “more doses than [vaccine administrators in the U.S.] can use right now.” Admirably, Pfizer has already produced 70 million doses.[3]
Moderna, the only other pharmaceutical firm with a currently approved vaccine, initially expected to produce 600 million doses this year. The company also stated more recently it is adding staff to increase output to 1 billion doses in 2021.[4] Moderna expects to have 100 million doses available in the U.S. by April 1st and an additional 100 million by July 1st.[5] Please note the current recommendation in the U.S. is for each person to receive two doses.
Additional companies are in various stages of producing, testing, and obtaining approval for what should be equally effective vaccines. Based on current knowledge, the bottom line is to stay safe and continue to observe smart practices even after getting vaccinated.
Sources
- “Concerns Linder Over Vaccines,” by Modern Healthcare, January 11, 2021
- “How Long Does It Take to Make Vaccines?” by Matt Shipman, Medical Press, December 17, 2020.
- “COVID-19 Vaccine Production to Ramp Up,” Zacks Equity Research, January 12, 2021
- “How Is Moderna’s Vaccine Production Scaling Up?” by Trefis Team, Forbes, January 7, 2021
- “Moderna Provides COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Update,” Moderna Press Release, January 4, 2021.
