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AFTER several months of pandemic and disaster after disaster, we are increasingly desperate to see some silver lining.
That’s why the news that the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech appeared to be more than 90% effective was very well received around the world, according to an ongoing trial involving more than 43,538. people.
According to the press release, this means that out of 94 infections, the majority came from those who received a placebo.
To put things in perspective, the US Food and Drug Administration set 50% as the threshold for approving a vaccine for emergency use, and effectiveness (that is, the ability to prevent disease in the real world ) of flu vaccines is around that threshold. .
A 90% efficacy (that is, the ability to reduce the incidence of disease in clinical trials) is better than expected, “just extraordinary,” in the words of Dr. Anthony Fauci, and bodes well for new technology. (i.e. the use of mRNA to attack respiratory viruses’ spike protein) behind the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
President Duterte, who has long made vaccines a centerpiece of his rhetoric (I discussed the dangers and promise of his “vaccine messianism” in September in this column), praised the news, saying that “Covid is already it’s not so scary, “promising that the government will finance the vaccination of all Filipinos next year, starting with the poor.
The newly appointed “vaccine czar” Carlito Gálvez Jr., for his part, has given May to July 2021 as the “best scenario” for the deployment of a vaccine in the country.
However, despite Pfizer’s promising results and government promises, there are challenges that must be overcome before we can have a vaccine and ultimately end the pandemic.
First, Pfizer’s results must be analyzed through a peer review process and additional analysis.
While the 90% efficacy is high, this may still change given the small number (94) of infections that has served as the basis for this number (the researchers’ target is 164), and it is unclear whether the vaccine will work and how it will work. for the elderly, children, those with chronic diseases and other vulnerable populations.
Beyond effectiveness, there is also the issue of durability; that is, how long its protective effect lasts and how many doses are required.
We currently understand that this vaccine requires two doses, which means that the 1.3 billion doses that Pfizer is committed to making in 2021 will only be good for 650 million people.
Speaking of this limited supply, reports indicate that countries like the US, UK, and Japan may have booked much of it through advanced purchasing agreements, raising issues of availability, equity, and the need for capacity manufacture of vaccines nationwide.
Particularly for low- and middle-income countries, there is also the logistical challenge of distributing a vaccine that requires ultra-cold storage (minus 70 or minus 80 degrees C), especially in an archipelagic nation like ours. In fact, the challenge is not just acquiring the vaccines, but the means to store and distribute them.
A Pfizer “freezer farm,” a soccer field-sized facility for storing finished Covid-19 vaccines, in Puurs, Belgium. – AP
In this regard, I welcome the government’s seven-point roadmap that at least recognizes some of these challenges.
However, one challenge the government must address relates to cultural barriers to immunization.
In urban and rural communities alike, I hear a growing sense of conspiracy among people who think “pinagkakaperahan ang Covid,” meaning politicians, hospitals, and businesses alike are allegedly making money from the pandemic.
Then there’s also the pre-existing mistrust of vaccines due in part to the dengue vaccine scandal and ongoing misinformation on social media (you’ll be surprised by the number of local anti-vaccine Facebook pages and groups).
We will need to address these barriers through effective and targeted communication, social science knowledge, community involvement, as well as integrity and transparency throughout the vaccine process.
Despite all of the above challenges, the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine offers hope that vaccines, including others in development, can truly contribute to ending the pandemic.
However, it is clear that we cannot just wait for these vaccines to arrive. It takes a lot of work if we are to deliver on their promise, and given their uncertain timeline, a lot of work is required to control Covid-19 even without them. – The Philippine Daily Inquirer / Asia News Network
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