The idea of a Covid-19 vaccine seemed like a long shot a couple months back when uncertainty was high, and optimism wasn’t. After the promising reveals of Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine trial results, many were hopeful that our Covid ‘miracle’ was right around the corner. Serotonin filling thoughts such as being able to return to normalcy filled minds across the country, yet that normalcy doesn’t seem to be coming just yet.
Inorganization within the processes of the vaccine distribution is largely to blame for the tarnished image that rests on the vaccination process. The number of vaccines that each state is receiving has been varying wildly week by week and nobody, including the manufacturers, understand why. In addition, online appointment scheduling programs have been crashing under the stress of thousands attempting to reserve their place in the never-ending line to be inoculated.
Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to make raw materials needed for vaccine production more easily accessible. Johnson & Johnson will hopefully make use of this as they have just released their results from vaccine trials. J & J’s vaccine only requires one dose and is able to be stored at regular refrigeration temperatures which will hopefully ease some stress off of the distribution process.
In Africa, a new variant known as B1351 has appeared and now made its way here to the states. Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine proves to be most effective against this strain while Pfizer and Moderna may be producing a potential 3rd ‘booster shot’ of their vaccine to protect against these mutated strains. Last week, the U.S. averaged about 1.2 million vaccines a day. With new vaccines joining the fight, we are awaiting normalcy becoming a reality rather than a fantasy.
Sources
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/30/maryland-confirms-case-of-south-african-covid-variant-thats-more-infectious.html