Hope the results of this vaccine delivery pilot will serve as a model for other states: Pfizer
Pfizer Inc has launched a pilot program to deliver its investigational COVID-19 vaccine to four U.S. states, as the U.S. drug maker seeks to address the distribution challenges facing its ultra-cold storage needs.
Pfizer’s vaccine, which has been shown to be over 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on initial data, should be shipped and stored at -70 degrees Celsius (minus 94F), well below the standard for vaccines 2-8 degrees Celsius (36-46F).
“We hope the results of this vaccine delivery pilot project serve as a model for other US states and international governments as they prepare to implement effective COVID-19 vaccination programs,” said Pfizer in a statement Monday.
He chose Rhode Island, Texas, New Mexico and Tennessee for the program after taking into account their differences in overall size, population diversity, immunization infrastructure, and need to reach individuals in varied urban and rural contexts.
The four states will not receive vaccine doses any earlier than the other states under the pilot, and they will not receive any differential consideration, Pfizer said.
The company expects to have enough vaccine safety data from the ongoing large-scale advanced trials by the third week of November before applying for an emergency use authorization (EUA).
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech SE have entered into a $ 1.95 billion agreement to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine to the US government, which has the option to acquire up to 500 million additional doses.
Earlier Monday, rival Moderna Inc said its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on interim data from an advanced stage trial, bolstering hopes that vaccines against disease may soon be ready for use.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use a new technology called synthetic messenger RNA to activate the immune system against the virus.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
