Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Published : November 29, 2020 12:16 PM IST
A few days ago, US biotech giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech had applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization of its coronavirus vaccine. The companies said that their vaccine candidate - BNT162b2 - was 95 percent effective, and that it also worked well in older people and in preventing severe Covid-19. Now, reports have surfaced that United Airlines have started operating charter flights to move shipments of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for quick distribution once it gets FDA approval. The mass inoculation programme is likely to begin in late December, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has reportedly granted special permission to the United Airlines to fly with increased quantities of dry ice, to keep the vaccine cold. The report noted that Pfizer's vaccination must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius. Pfizer has designed suitcase-size boxes, packed with dry ice, so that the vaccine can be shipped faster, it added.
Citing a letter from the FAA, WSJ reported that the United Airlines plans to fly chartered cargo flights between Brussels International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport to support distribution of the vaccine.
The FAA also issued a statement on Friday announcing that it was supporting the "first mass air shipment of a vaccine," and that it is working with airlines to safely transport Covid-19 vaccines.
Pfizer vaccine expected to get emergency use approval next month
The United States is reportedly planning to distribute 6.4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the first week after it is cleared for emergency use, which is likely next month. A committee of the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to meet on December 10 to decide on the approval of the vaccine.
An emergency authorization would allow limited groups of Americans, which would most likely include health care workers and nursing home residents, to get the vaccines before the F.D.A. completes the typical monthslong approval process.
Earlier this month, another US pharma company, Moderna Inc, claimed its vaccine, which uses similar technology as that of Pfizer-BioNTech vax, was 94.5 per cent effective against COVID-19. The company is also expected to apply soon for emergency authorization.
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine candidates also began large human trials on the same day, July 27. If both these vaccines are authorized for emergency use, the US government believe that there could be enough doses to immunize about 20 million Americans before the end of this year.
The federal government has invested in six vaccine candidates, including these two mRNA-based vaccines, through its crash vaccine development program, Operation Warp Speed.
The United Kingdom (UK) may approve Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine candidate next week, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.
Considering the rise of the coronavirus cases in the country, the UK government is planning to move quickly into the approval process, with the rollout of the vaccine expected before Christmas, the report said.
The UK's drug regulator, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, has also said that it will process clearance for Pfizer vaccine in "the shortest time possible" without compromising on safety.
China and Russia have already approved the COVID-19 vaccines for general populace. Russia has announced that its Sputnik V will be priced at $10 per dose on international markets, costing less than Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Pfizer's vaccine is expected to cost $19.50, while governments may have to shell out between $25 and $37 per dose for Moderna's jab.
India-based drugmaker Hetero will produce over 100 million doses of the jab, with the production expected to start in early 2021, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement on Friday.
Earlier this week, Russia revealed interim results from the Sputnik V clinical trials, which showed that the vaccine was 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 infection.
