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An even better one is to immediately release the raw data from the ongoing RCT, as a substantial chorus of scientists has asked, and to which Peter Doshi has given articulate voice in BMJ: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/01/04/peter-doshi-pfizer-and-...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
For anyone interested: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2021/02/02/my... Around the time of this post I tried to get a bit more information on this, and ... well, here's the rabbit hole: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68p3qAm4i7U Use lithography to create the mold, then cure it, then put it into a pure O2 enivornment, then drop it on a glass plate and you just plasma glued the silicone and the glass.…
What is possible given sufficient time, is very different from what is possible in a few months. Even in non-medical situations, getting a high-tech manufacturing process up and running takes years, not months, normally, and working long hours doesn't help as much as you think because the rate of mistakes goes up. But, having more capacity in a year's time, doesn't necessarily save any lives, since the mRNA vaccines…
"as they require two doses per person and are more demanding in the refrigeration requirements."
Moderna doesn't require overly deep refrigeration, that is Pfizer. The difference is a technical one and one that Pfizer believes they can solve. So while it is true of the current Pfizer vaccines, it isn't true of mRNA vaccines generally.
Secondly, the two dose regimen is unnecessary, IMO. Pfizer and Moderna have higher efficacy with one dose than J&J or Astrazeneca have after their one shot. The FDA and others insisting on two doses is because of Pfizer and Moderna's original process called for two doses as they wanted to be sure of the efficacy and that is what they got approval for. Given many doctors are looking at the pandemic from the perspective of a patient rather than that of a population and a disease, they aren't willing to admit that two doses for Pfizer and Moderna is unnecessary and putting far more lives at risk.
The rest of the world can benefit, as those countries that can afford the higher priced vaccine may do so as they are more effective and available now, which helps to get them out of the market of the lower cost vaccines. That decrease in demand for J&J and others can then be filled by countries that don't have the funding or the infrastructure for the current mRNA vaccines, thereby keeping their price low.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What is possible given sufficient time, is very different from what is possible in a few months. Even in non-medical situations, getting a high-tech manufacturing process up and running takes years, not months, normally, and working long hours doesn't help as much as you think because the rate of mistakes goes up. But, having more capacity in a year's time, doesn't necessarily save any lives, since the mRNA vaccines…
Your post is good overall but I am not so sure about this part: "as they require two doses per person and are more demanding in the refrigeration requirements." Moderna doesn't require overly deep refrigeration, that is Pfizer. The difference is a technical one and one that Pfizer believes they can solve. So while it is true of the current Pfizer vaccines, it isn't true of mRNA vaccines generally. Secondly, the two d…
I have read that J&J also had a two-dose phase 3 going in parallel, but because the one-dose worked well enough they dropped it.
Really, given the shortage of vaccines in the world, and the fact that the U.K. essentially ran a 12-week one-dose experiment on a massive scale, I would think that we have enough data now to make the call. But, everything is more complicated than it seems from afar, so I am sure they have reasons.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your post is good overall but I am not so sure about this part: "as they require two doses per person and are more demanding in the refrigeration requirements." Moderna doesn't require overly deep refrigeration, that is Pfizer. The difference is a technical one and one that Pfizer believes they can solve. So while it is true of the current Pfizer vaccines, it isn't true of mRNA vaccines generally. Secondly, the two d…
Interesting! Looks like you're right about that: https://www.modernatx.com/covid19vaccine-eua/providers/stora... I have read that J&J also had a two-dose phase 3 going in parallel, but because the one-dose worked well enough they dropped it. Really, given the shortage of vaccines in the world, and the fact that the U.K. essentially ran a 12-week one-dose experiment on a massive scale, I would think that we have enoug…
But still you're right, Moderna does not require anything all that exceptional.