The world is continuing to struggle to contain the COVID-19 virus. As America reaches over 10 million cases and 250,000 deaths, state agencies are getting desperate for a solution. Pharmaceutical companies and research centers worldwide are working around the clock to develop a vaccine to stop COVID-19. Earlier this week, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer released promising results for its latest COVID-19 vaccine. What do these positive results mean, and how quickly can you expect an available vaccine? This article will go over the next steps and hurdles required to get a COVID-19 vaccine to every American.
The Vaccine Results
On Monday, November 9th, Pfizer, alongside BioNTeck, released the latest data from their COVID-19 vaccine trial. While the data released was short on information, the data they did share looked promising. According to the results, their latest vaccine is 90% effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19. This is by far the best results the international community has received thus far.
What Happens Next
The next step is to get FDA approval. When talking with the New York Times, a spokesperson for Pfizer stated the company plans to apply for approval after they finalize their data at the end of the month. Pfizer does not expect to run into any issues with the approval process.
Next, Pfizer will ramp up production on the finished vaccine. The company is confident it will have enough doses to immunize 15 million people by the end of December. By the end of April, Pfizer hopes it will have enough inventory to inoculate the rest of the United States.
The Remaining Hurdles
The biggest hurdle in front of the Pfizer vaccine is distribution. It is not as simple as getting approval from the FDA and moving forward. Both Pfizer and the FDA will need to work with state and federal agencies to develop a distribution plan. Working with so many agencies can cause severe supply chain challenges.
Another hurdle is the way the Pfizer vaccine will need to be stored. According to Pfizer, the vaccine will need to be held in an environment minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit) until moments before it is injected in a patient. To put that in perspective, the average freezer can only go as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit).
Many facilities, especially in rural counties, will need to upgrade their equipment before they are ready to store the vaccine. Pfizer announced that they are working on a powder form of the vaccine that does not need to be stored at such cold temperatures. However, it will take more time before that form of the vaccine is ready for production.
Moving Forward
While the Pfizer vaccine offers positive news, Americans still need to remain cautious. Dr. Anthony Fauci warns that social distancing practices will need to stay in place until the vaccine reaches enough people. With America experiencing the worst surge of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, the news of the Pfizer vaccine is a breath of hope for a tired country.
Bibliography
Robbins, Rebecca, and David Gelles. “How Pfizer Plans to Distribute Its Vaccine (It's Complicated).” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Nov. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/business/pfizer-covid-vaccine-coronavirus.html.
Thomas, Katie, et al. “Pfizer Stuns Experts With Early Data That Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Nov. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/health/covid-vaccine-pfizer.html.
