Putting on the ‘vaccine’ gloves – Manila Bulletin

LISTENING TO IT THROUGH THE FLU-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL XXIII

When Senator Manny Pacquiao was in the prime of his boxing odyssey, a phrase that was repeated frequently during his Sunday morning fights (Manila time), it was ‘Nag umpisa na ba ang boxing?’ Fast forward to the final months of 2020, and if there’s one thing we’re all looking forward to, it’s asking “Nag-start na ba ang?” – and we chart your progress around the world.

It is the first key or solution to achieve a true appearance of normality, to alleviate movement and travel restrictions. It is the great panacea that everyone is waiting for. And without being a spoiler intentionally, it is correct to point out the great divide and disparity that exists between expectation and reality when it comes to the COVID vaccine.

Last week’s euphoria began when Pfizer announced 90% efficacy for phase 3 trials of its vaccine; And before the dust had settled, another American company, Moderna, was reporting a 94.5% success rate for its own Warp Speed ​​product. Both are of the mRNA variety, which means that the fragments of the genetic code of the virus’s peak proteins will be administered in two doses, one to two weeks apart, and this triggers an immune response. I am not a doctor or medical specialist, so I will let them explain how it works. But I can read the material, analyze it, and make the following observations.

First, Pfizer’s vaccine requires strict and extreme cold storage requirements: -70 degrees Celsius (or -94 degrees Fahrenheit). This immediately makes it unsuitable for tropical countries, Third World nations, and situations where you plan to take it to remote provinces and / or remote areas. Fortunately, Moderna’s vaccine only needs storage at -20 degrees Celsius (or -4 degrees Fahrenheit). With refrigeration, it can last about 30 days, similar to how the smallpox vaccine is handled. I mention all of this because if it is not stored properly before being administered it can make vaccination moot and pointless.

We have received reports that the main adverse reactions are related to fatigue, joint pain and pain at the injection site. Quite a small price to pay if we are now immune to COVID with confidence. And although the test groups were ethnically diverse and included older people, there were no children or pregnant women who participated in the trials. So if FDA approval is on your mind, the predictions are that first round production will likely occur in late December and early spring 2021 for wide availability WITHIN the United States.

Remember, it’s not vaccines that save lives, it’s vaccines! Efficacy and effectiveness are two different things. While its effectiveness may point you in the right direction, we do not yet know how it will perform under broad application conditions. In addition, there is the logistical challenge of carrying it out; mass produce, maintain quality control, and continue to enjoy that success rate. I heard that Moderna has several potential locations for production, and one site is Indonesia. If that will help us here in the Philippines with regards to global distribution, only time will tell.

For now, Moderna has been talking about $ 37 per dose (you need two doses). And trust me, there will be a mad struggle to be first in line for distribution when these companies start looking beyond the United States. Which really begs the question: what’s going on with the vaccine that AstraZeneca is developing at the University of Oxford? And why are we no longer hearing anything about Russia’s Sputnik V, the vaccine that our own president was ready to be a test case for and offered to Filipinos to be “guinea pigs”? For the Philippines to be the official recipient of any of these vaccines, in a volume that can be administered by many front-line, high-risk individuals, and persons of concern, the “solution” appears to be an arduous process and up hill.

I have the following observations / predictions, and some may seem exaggerated or make you laugh. But before you completely discard them, let’s meet again in a few months and see if I was really clairvoyant or just let my imagination run wild:

1. The new status symbol of early 2021 for the Filipino elite, be it government, politics, big business or entertainment, will be to have a certificate in their possession stating that they have been vaccinated against COVID. The moment the US FDA gives its approval, watch as the Pinoys rush to be first in line through a) dual citizenship, b) the lost cousin whom you helped through college. and now he works in the medical profession in America, c) the American doctor, whose friendship he has cultivated for decades, or d) the blatant proposition that “money is not a problem.” Mind you, this is before a single shipment of vaccines officially reaches our shores. It will be a game of dividing the haves from the have-nots, and it won’t matter whether they belong to a high-risk group or not. It’s really about “I could make this happen”, “inggit lang kayo”. In fact, I am predicting that if there will be a first case of someone stealing the vaccine, it will be a Filipino-American, pressured by his kamag-anak at home.

2. Historically, we are the nation of the “blue seal”, of PX, of imported things. So, watch a black market for the vaccine appear before legitimate vaccine deliveries. Of course, this means profiting, and we can forget about the officially pronounced $ 37 per dose of Moderna. There will even be fake Phi-tser or Muderma vaccines; And if any of their “clients” still get the virus, these “underground economists” have the built-in excuse of “So you’re one of the 5%, tsk, tsk, tsk.” And before you raise your eyebrows at the thought of such unscrupulous motives that exist during the time of the pandemic, let’s not forget that the face shields we see now being retailed for P20 are the same ones that cost close to P100 in the beginning. of April. – makes one wonder what the real cost of acquisition was for importers.

3. As the first official shipments begin to arrive, watch as our country’s politicians take the lead (except those who can proudly say they are already vaccinated and immune, our political primus inter pares). Will the front-line, high-risk groups be first? Maybe officially, yes; but we are Filipinos, and our national sports are doing “singit” and being “called”.

Just say…