5 ms·
The problem is that we're turning this into a cat and mouse - Pfizer has nowhere near the capacity to ramp up production to make a positive impact after all. I
by libertine 6y ago
The problem is that we're turning this into a cat and mouse - Pfizer has nowhere near the capacity to ramp up production to make a positive impact after all.
If we enter a cycle of new variants every 9-6 months that require new vacines, simply because the volume of people infect allows the virus to have enough diversity, then it's pointless.
It's basically a "weird flex" from Pfizer, because what they should say is: even though we can make a new vaccine easily, we will have nowhere near the production capacity to make a difference, so global governments need to get their shit together.
- iguy 6y agoManufacturing capacity is going to be a big constraint this year, but surely whatever factory was going to make the old variant, could equally well make some new variant of the vaccine. Longer-term, if we need a new vaccine every 9 months, that doesn't sound like a huge manufacturing problem. We manufacture many high-tech things on a scale of 1 per person per year, like the flu vaccine. The difficulty is ramping up fast (especially when you think that demand may only last a year).
- bluGill 6y agoPfizer can develop more capacity if they see a need. Right now it isn't looking useful, as several other competitors are expected to be approved in the near future before they can bring more production online. If they need to develop a new vaccine every few months, the speed they can make new variations would make more investment in manufacturing worth it.