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Pfizer Inc.

UK Authorizes Pfizer/BioNTech Covid Vaccine, Storage and Transportation Challenges Ahead

Strategic Insights

— 3 min read

The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine, which has an efficacy of almost 95%, has been authorized by the UK medicines regulator, making the UK the first western country to license a vaccine against the disease. The UK has 40m doses of this vaccine on order. The vaccine works by introducing into the body genetic material, called mRNA, that contains the instructions to make the so-called "spike" protein of the coronavirus. The vaccine itself is manufactured at Pfizer plants in the US and Europe, with stocks for the UK coming from the company's site in Puurs, Belgium. However, the vaccine must be stored and transported at extremely low temperatures, posing logistical challenges.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine has an efficacy of almost 95% and has been authorized by the UK medicines regulator.
  • The vaccine works by introducing genetic material that contains the instructions to make the so-called "spike" protein of the coronavirus.
  • The vaccine is manufactured at Pfizer plants in the US and Europe, with stocks for the UK coming from the company's site in Puurs, Belgium.
  • The vaccine must be stored and transported at extremely low temperatures, posing significant logistical challenges.
  • The vaccine will be distributed through various routes, including 1,560 community-based vaccination centers, hospitals, and mass vaccination centers.
  • The Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, which has a simpler storage and transportation requirement, is likely to be the backbone of the UK's mass vaccination program.

Statistics:

  • 95%: Efficacy of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine.
  • 40m: Number of doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on order for the UK.
  • -70C: Temperature required for storage and transportation of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
  • 10 days: Duration for which the vaccine can be stored at -70C in packaging with solid carbon dioxide.
  • 2C-8C: Temperature range for storage of the Moderna vaccine.
  • 30 days: Duration for which the Moderna vaccine can be stored at temperatures between 2C and 8C.
  • 6 months: Duration for which the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored at temperatures between 2C and 8C.
  • 1,560: Number of community-based vaccination centers in the UK.
  • 5,000: Number of people that mass vaccination centers are expected to vaccinate per day.
  • 200-500: Number of jabs that community-based vaccination centers are expected to dispense per day.
  • 40m: Number of doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine secured by the UK government.

Sources:

  • [The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine, which has an efficacy of almost 95%, has been authorized by the UK medicines regulator, making the UK the first western country to license a vaccine against the disease. The UK has 40m doses of this vaccine on order. Remind me how this vaccine works ... (1)]
  • [The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid jab is an mRNA vaccine -- a cutting-edge technology. The vaccine works by introducing into the body genetic material, called mRNA, that contains the instructions to make the so-called "spike" protein of the coronavirus. (1)]
  • [The vaccine itself is manufactured at Pfizer plants in the US and Europe, with stocks for the UK coming from the company's site in Puurs, Belgium, which has already begun churning out thousands of doses. (1)]
  • [BioNTech also has production sites in Mainz and Idar-Oberstein, Germany, for commercial supply of the vaccine, with a third site in Germany set to start manufacturing in 2021. (1)]
  • [The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, while exciting, brings logistical challenges. Among them, the vaccine must be stored and transported at about -70C. To keep the vaccine at the required ultra-low temperature, the doses will be packaged with solid carbon dioxide and placed in reusable containers that resemble pizza boxes for shipping. (1)]
  • [Pfizer said that, unopened, these boxes keep the vaccine at the correct temperature for 10 days. Once in the UK, the vaccine will be transported to vaccination centers -- there they can be stored in regular medical refrigerators at 2C-8C for up to five days, or the shipping boxes can be topped up with dry ice every five days allowing the vaccine to be stored for up to 30 days. (1)]
  • [The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) put care home residents and care home workers at the front of the queue for a Covid vaccine, it is likely that NHS staff will be the first group to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech jab. NHS officials say the decision is pragmatic and based upon the characteristics of the vaccine, with limits on the number of times it can be moved, and its shelf life making it unsuitable for use in out-of-hospital settings. (1)]
  • [Both the Moderna mRNA vaccine, and the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine (which uses a harmless chimp cold virus to deliver genetic information from the coronavirus to human cells) have released phase 3 clinical trial results and are under review by the MHRA. (1)]
  • [These jabs are also part of the UK government's portfolio of potential Covid vaccine candidates, with 7m doses of the Moderna vaccine and 100m doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine already secured. (1)]

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