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What is stopping us from linearly scaling mRNA vaccine production? If throwing money at it won't help, there should be specific answers to that question.
by maxerickson 5y ago
What is stopping us from linearly scaling mRNA vaccine production?
If throwing money at it won't help, there should be specific answers to that question.
- ianlevesque 5y agoThe only reasonable counter argument I’ve heard is the lead time on spinning up the new plants. It’s always been throwing money at the problem won’t fix it right now.
- BurningFrog 5y agoAs I understand it, 15 months ago, only experimental batches of mRNA vaccines had ever been produced. Only a few specialists knew how, and industrial production was a hypothetical dream. The ramping up to billions of doses since have gone as fast as is humanly possible, with very little expense or effort spared. Everyone would like it to go even faster, but there are limits to what money can buy. (This is what I've heard. I'm not any kind of insider)
- maxerickson 5y agoSo what specific limit is each company working against right now?
- ipaddr 5y agoIf they invested in building new plants what happens in a few years? Is covid still an issue? Would they need to close the plant because of a lack of need?
- maxerickson 5y agoThat would be fine if that happened.
- cartoonworld 5y agoProbably redeploy the advanced manufacturing capital into other highly desirable state-of-the art biotech.
- inglor_cz 5y agoIDK, but not screwing this up is absolutely crucial. If ramping up the production comes at a cost of cutting some corners, and a contaminated/dangerous batch of mRNA vacciness comes along as a result, the antivaxx movement will have a field day whose impacts will be felt even fifty years from now. We (as humanity) cannot affort a massive vaccine screw up.
- BurningFrog 5y agoI think anyone who can answer that is working 100 hour weeks to accomplish it, not surfing HN comments.
- maxerickson 5y agoWeird that they are doing it in total silence though.