Vaccines

The Pfizer vaccine is on its way to providers and patients, but what is the distribution plan? The vaccine will go first to workers and patients at skilled nursing facilities, second to health care workers at high risk of infection and primary care, and lastly to health care workers in less risky…

Extensive political polarization has gotten health officials struggling to invoke trust among people as the United States prepares for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine.  It has been estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the US population will need to get vaccinated to substantially decrease the…

As the world holds its breath and waits for the start of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, there is a looming question about the apparent exclusion of pregnant women in vaccine trials. Pregnant women have been found to be at an increased risk of contracting severe forms of COVID-19. According…

The arrival of the highly anticipated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna raises questions about how well their effectiveness compares to natural immunity. Natural immunity is greatly dependent on the amount of virus to which the person was exposed, which, in turn, determines the “quality” of…

Data from the Moderna vaccine trial revealed that the vaccine candidate had 94.1% efficacy, a much higher percentage than previously estimated. With the vaccine's success in multiple cohorts, there are high hopes for a method of protecting against the coronavirus. Moderna has applied for Emergency…

The mRNA vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech must be kept at -70 degrees Celsius. So as Pfizer plans to ship 1.3 billion doses next year, dry ice and isothermic boxes will be vital for distribution. Ethanol, a source of CO2 for dry ice, may become a limiting factor. Moreover, areas beyond the cold chain…

John Yang volunteered to participate in the phase 3 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial. The Moderna vaccine has been 94.5% effective and is waiting FDA approval. Yang chose to take part in the trial because he is considered high risk and would rather have the vaccine sooner rather than later. He…

Following the announcement of Pfizer's vaccine success last week, Moderna has announced its preliminary results. While Pfizer had a 90% effective vaccine, Moderna's vaccine had 94.5% efficacy. These vaccines are the first to be made of mRNA, and based on their data, suggest incredible potential for…

Amongst some devastating COVID-19 related news this past week—including record daily cases and 1,000+ daily coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S.—there is hope for an end to the pandemic. Pfizer and BioNTech have been developing a vaccine and conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in hopes of…

SARS-CoV-2, like many other pathogens, needs to be at a certain vaccine dose in order for it to trigger an infection and immune response in an infected individual. A low dose may allow an individual to respond to a virus successfully, while a dose that is too high can potentially make a person…

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met to discuss how to best distribute a COVID-19 vaccine once one is approved. They identified four groups that would have priority vaccination. The first group to be vaccinated would be health care personnel due to their close proximity and…

The University of Oxford and Astra Zeneca are collaborating on the development of a coronavirus vaccine. With recent evidence, their vaccine appears to be one of the frontrunners for a vaccine available by the end of the year. Recent studies showed that an immune response was developed in response…

Two COVID-19 vaccine trials are currently paused due to concerns about its side effects. AstraZeneca's U.S. trial of its vaccine has been stalled for over a month after two volunteers developed neurological conditions, though it is unconfirmed how the conditions arose. Likewise, this Monday,…

Many potential Covid-19 vaccines utilize oil from sharks called squalene. It is taken from shark livers and typically used as a moisturizing ingredient in cosmetics and as an immune system booster in flu and malaria vaccines. Conservationists warn that if the coronavirus vaccine with squalene is…