If mRNA vaccines work, we’re going to need a lot of freezers
The most advanced vaccines for Covid-19 use messenger RNA to spur immunity and have shown early signs of progress. But if the two leading candidates — from Moderna and partners Pfizer and BioNTech — actually work, the world is going to face a logistical challenge involving quite a few freezers.
Yesterday, at a meeting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Moderna explained that its vaccine has to be shipped and stored at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and can endure for up to 10 days in a normal refrigerator once it has reached its destination. Pfizer’s product, which also must be stored at low temperatures, has an even tighter window, lasting only about a day at refrigerator temperatures.
That’s going to have a “major impact in our ability to efficiently deliver the vaccine,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. This is all assuming the two vaccines succeed in ongoing Phase 3 studies, but it underlines why the federal government has diversified its investments in potential vaccines. A vaccine from Novavax, which is yet to demonstrate efficacy in a large trial, can be shipped and stored at common refrigerator temperatures.
Yesterday, at a meeting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Moderna explained that its vaccine has to be shipped and stored at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and can endure for up to 10 days in a normal refrigerator once it has reached its destination. Pfizer’s product, which also must be stored at low temperatures, has an even tighter window, lasting only about a day at refrigerator temperatures.
That’s going to have a “major impact in our ability to efficiently deliver the vaccine,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. This is all assuming the two vaccines succeed in ongoing Phase 3 studies, but it underlines why the federal government has diversified its investments in potential vaccines. A vaccine from Novavax, which is yet to demonstrate efficacy in a large trial, can be shipped and stored at common refrigerator temperatures.
.png)
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario