COVID-19 Vaccine Update – Production now in Focus after the AstraZeneca Approval

The Latest

There has been plenty of vaccine news over the holidays as efforts continue to deliver more effective COVID-19 vaccines.

AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford vaccine received approval in the UK this week, which was key in the fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MHRA approved the 2-dose vaccine that will require a 2^nd dose to be administered 4-12 weeks after the first dose.

It wasn’t long ago that AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford hit the news wires for all the wrong reasons.

With dosages now cleared up and the ability to store the AstraZeneca vaccine at fridge temperatures, mass vaccination is far simpler across the UK and beyond.

More importantly for the UK, there is also greater control on production and distribution, with the vaccine produced in the UK.

In addition to the Pfizer Inc. and Monero Inc. vaccines, the UK expects to receive an estimated 530,000 doses next week.

In the UK, a total of 616,933 people received the vaccine between 8^th and 20^th December. The government has ordered 40 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer Inc. vaccine and 100 million AstraZeneca doses.

Other vaccines that are also available including Russia’s Sputnik V, which is being considered across other geographies.

What’s next?

While AstraZeneca has received UK approval, receiving FDA and EMA approval from the U.S and the EU will be key.

Before the availability of the vaccine, AstraZeneca had promised not to make a profit from the vaccine. With low storage and transportation costs, each dose is estimated to be £3-£4. This is significantly lower than Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc.’s vaccines.

For this very reason, the AstraZeneca/University of Oxford vaccine makes up the lion’s share of the doses that COVAX has secured.

Production numbers and approvals will now be the next area of focus for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Poorer nations will be reliant upon the AstraZeneca vaccine to end the spread of the virus.

For Johnson & Johnson, a one-dose vaccine could be in circulation by February, according to reports. As clinical trials continue, it will come down to the numbers and safety. The head of Operation Warp Speed delivered the optimistic view, while also stating that the AstraZeneca vaccine could receive FDA approval by April.

The Latest COVID-19 Numbers

At the time of writing, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 83,060,556. The total number of U.S cases has risen to 20,216,991, with the total number of related deaths rising to 350,778.

Behind the U.S, India saw the total number of cases rise to 10,267,283, with Brazil reporting 7,619,970 cases in total.

For France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, the total number of cases stood at 8,316,294, with 221,846 related deaths.

Across the United Kingdom, the total number of cases stood at 2,432,888, with 72,548 related deaths.