The only possible strategy to definitively end the coronavirus pandemic is mass immunization, and for this there are two ways: mass contagion or mass vaccination. In March, some countries like Sweden and UK They opted for the first route and the result was disastrous – until Boris Johnson ended up in the ICU -, so the only possible solution, today, is a vaccination campaign.
The vaccination campaign against Covid-19 began on December 27, 2020 throughout the European Union (EU) with the intention of projecting an image of unity. The European Commission has worked to obtain vaccines for the entire population, but a single pharmacist is not able to guarantee sufficient doses for the 450 million inhabitants of the 27 countries that make up the club. For this reason, there will be several vaccine models that end up reaching citizens.
For the moment, the EU has managed to close agreements with six pharmaceutical companies with which they intend to purchase 2.3 billion doses. Only two of these vaccines have been approved (Pfizer and Modern), four are in phase III (Curevac, NOT A WORD and Oxford), and one in phase II (Sanofi). In CatalunyaPress we have compiled the main data about each one:
– Pfizer and BioNTech: The European Union has bought 600 million doses of this vaccine. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved it on December 23, 2020, marking the kick-off of the vaccination campaign. It is administered in two doses with a maximum of 21 days apart and, although it is 95% effective, it is one of the most difficult to store, since it needs to be at 80 degrees below zero to be preserved. It is injected into the arm.
– Modern: It is the second vaccine approved by the EMA, on January 6, 2021, and Catalonia has already begun to administer the first doses – the EU has bought 160 million. Like Pfizer, it is given in two doses, and in this case, a maximum of 28 days apart. The effectiveness of the vaccine reaches 94.5% and, unlike the first, it is much easier to store: it retains its properties at 20 degrees below zero, a temperature easily achievable with conventional freezers. It is injected into the arm.
– Oxford and Astra Zeneca: The EU has purchased 400 million doses of this vaccine which, although the EMA has not yet approved, has been administered in the UK since 4 January. Two doses need to be administered 28 days apart. Its effectiveness ranges from 62 to 90% depending on who the recipient is and, unlike the two previous vaccines, it can be preserved at the temperature of a conventional refrigerator, which facilitates its storage. It is injected into the arm.
CureVac: The EU has agreed with this German pharmaceutical company to purchase 405 million doses of its vaccine. It is currently in phase III and is expected to be ready in 2021. Spain is one of the countries chosen to carry out the latest trial to approve the vaccine. Like the previous ones, it is administered in two doses with an interval of 28 days. In addition, it can be stored in a conventional refrigerator.
J&J y Janssen: The EU has agreed to purchase 400 million doses of this vaccine. Unlike the previous ones, you only need one dose to generate immunity. As the company recently announced, the vaccine generated immunity in 90% of patients with a single dose. The two labs are expected to announce the result of their phase III trial later this January. If their efficacy is confirmed, they will seek approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and later, in the EU. It also does not need freezing for its conservation.
Sanofi: The EU has agreed with this laboratory to purchase 300 million vaccines and yet it will not yet be able to access them. In December the company confirmed that it should delay the launch of its vaccine because it had elicited a low immune response in patients older than 50 years. A trial will begin again in February to see if the efficacy of the vaccine has been improved, which will not be ready until at least the end of 2021.
FUTURE AGREEMENTS
– Novavax: On December 17, 2020, the Commission finalized exploratory discussions with the pharmaceutical company Novavax with a view to acquiring its possible vaccine against COVID-19. Novavax’s vaccine, a protein subunit product, is already in phase III of clinical trials. The envisaged contract would offer the possibility for all EU Member States to purchase 100 million doses initially, with the possibility of subsequently purchasing up to 100 million more doses.
Valneva – On January 12, 2021, the Commission agreed with the pharmaceutical company Valneva to acquire its possible vaccine against Covid-19. The planned contract with Valneva offers the possibility for all EU Member States to purchase 30 million doses, and to purchase up to 30 million additional doses.
According to the Commission, it has decided to support these vaccines “on the basis of sound scientific evaluations, in the technologies used, in the experience of the companies in the development of vaccines and in their production capacities to supply all the Member States of the EU”, argue on their website.
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