COVID Vaccines and Global Cooperation

Recent news has brought promising results of the COVID-19 vaccines. Both Pfizer and Moderna have produced highly efficient mRNA vaccines. Pfizer's vaccine has a 90% efficacy and Moderna's has 95% efficacy. The use of an mRNA vaccine allows people to be injected with a protein template instead of actual coronavirus. The protein template can be translated by the body's cells and produce the spike proteins that coat the virus. Once these are produced, the body's leukocytes can begin to recognize the proteins and produce antibodies against them. This way, if a vaccinated person becomes infected with COVID-19, their body has stored immune cells that will be able to more quickly recognize and fight the virus than if they were not vaccinated.

While the news about the vaccines are promising, there are still several steps that must be taken before they are ready for distribution: trials must finish and global cooperation must occur.

Assuming that the remaining vaccine trials go smoothly, there is lots of global production that must occur in order to make the vaccines available to all. Some vaccines require storage at extremely cold temperatures up until the point of injection. This poses several problems: lack of freezers and space for the freezers, lack of dry ice, and the need for glass that will not crack under cold temperatures. The vaccines must be kept cold during transportation and while in storage waiting to be injected. Keeping a vaccine cold on an overseas flight may possibly put the flight crew at risk, as melting dry ice creates copious amount of carbon dioxide byproduct, which may be harmful to crew. Grants have been given to companies who produce glass that withstands the deep cold; this glass has a different formula than other glasses, as it excludes elements that contribute to its fragility.

Even if the problems of transportation and storage of the vaccine are solved, distribution of the vaccine must be decided. Many country leaders are strong nationalists and would only allow distribution to their citizens. This prevents impoverished countries from receiving vaccinations as power-hungry leaders block their access. The AstraZeneca vaccine being produced in India has already had its fate decided if it is effective. The lead producer of the vaccine has stated that half of the produced doses will be used on Indian citizens, and the other half of the doses will be distributed to the rest of the world, with priority going to countries living in poverty. The production of some vaccines, such as CanSinoBio, is restricted for use only in China. Russia is developing a similar vaccine only available to Russians.

While news may be promising about a vaccine for the coronavirus, there are many supply and cooperation factors needed to make the vaccine globally accessible.