CDC Notifies States, Large Cities To Prepare For Vaccine Distribution As Soon As Late October

[Jonfw2]

What’s the point of this comment? There’s no way any vaccine can be rolled out to every person in the entire world at once. Both production and distribution will have to be a process and a process that is repeated in perpetuity based on what we know right now about immunity. Nor is it reasonable to expect that the rest of the world will sit and wait for the US to absorb the lion’s share of early production. There are over 50 countries that already have agreements in place with Pfizer.

As I've said before, there is a small but very real percentage of people who for whatever reason don't want good news on this. I don't get it, but it's clearly true.

 

[Pyotr]

While this is great news, I think everyone should just slow down a bit. We need to wait for the actual study to be released.

 

[Jonfw2]

While this is great news, I think everyone should just slow down a bit. We need to wait for the actual study to be released.

There is no way they release this info if it's not accurate. This is it, man. It really is.

 

[AMW86]

Great news! Some at the FDA were hoping for 50% efficacy. 94% is a whole more than they hoped for! We just need to be patient for the distribution.

 

[mom2rtk]

As I've said before, there is a small but very real percentage of people who for whatever reason don't want good news on this. I don't get it, but it's clearly true.

The dynamics on this have changed. A lot. Expect a lot of revised opinions.

 

[jlwhitney]

That won't go far at all seeing that the use alone has over 331 Millon people.

True but still will be awhile and yes I won't be getting it anytime soon. We do the standard childhood ones but have yet to do the flu either.

 

[Colleen27]

I realize there's no bowl of Cornflakes too big to be pssd on, but this is not accurate. From today's news:

"Based on current projections, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021."

But in all fairness, that's not even a drop in the bucket of what is needed. Don't get me wrong, progress toward a vaccine is a good thing... but let's be realistic about today's news. Pfizer is aiming to have 50 million doses of a two-dose vaccine that needs infrastructure we don't have to keep it at -90° during distribution. That means they'll have enough for 25 million people to get vaccinated this year, and it will likely only be available in a small number of locations capable of supporting those highly specialized storage and transport needs. Next year, they'll have enough for 650 million more people, which is a big jump of course, but those storage and transport issues (as well as the balance of international distribution) will still have to be addressed. And hopefully they'll be willing and able to ramp up still further or a second vaccine candidate will be approved, because at that pace, it would take more than a decade to produce enough to meet global demand.

People still seem to be seeing this as "once there is a vaccine, the pandemic is over", when the reality is that having a vaccine and getting it to enough people to make a difference are two entirely separate issues.

 

[Jonfw2]

But in all fairness, that's not even a drop in the bucket of what is needed. Don't get me wrong, progress toward a vaccine is a good thing... but let's be realistic about today's news. Pfizer is aiming to have 50 million doses of a two-dose vaccine that needs infrastructure we don't have to keep it at -90° during distribution. That means they'll have enough for 25 million people to get vaccinated this year, and it will likely only be available in a small number of locations capable of supporting those highly specialized storage and transport needs. Next year, they'll have enough for 650 million more people, which is a big jump of course, but those storage and transport issues (as well as the balance of international distribution) will still have to be addressed. And hopefully they'll be willing and able to ramp up still further or a second vaccine candidate will be approved, because at that pace, it would take more than a decade to produce enough to meet global demand.

People still seem to be seeing this as "once there is a vaccine, the pandemic is over", when the reality is that having a vaccine and getting it to enough people to make a difference are two entirely separate issues.

Sigh. Okay. Enjoy your day.

 

[Judique]

I'm a surgeon and have been wearing the blue medical masks for decades, with glasses. I generally just tape them to the bridge of my nose. It's not helpful if you're going to be taking the mask off and on all day, but if you just need to lift to sip a drink at most, it works well. I use medical grade paper tape, which isn't quite as sticky.

Thank you for the suggestion of the paper tape. I just happen to have a couple of rolls. I use the disposable blue fold masks with the bit of wire at the top. I found that if I mold the wire over my nose, the fogging is less severe. Of course I only have to wear a mask in stores and that is very limited as I've become more organized in my grocery collection these days and go just twice a month. Plus, no sitting in restaurants or bars - grub hub, door dash, regular delivery and curb side pickup is our norm now.

And, when cloth masks became the rage, I spent money on quite a few. At the time you couldn't get the blue paper ones. Once I was able to get the paper ones, and figured out they were more comfortable and also disposable, the cloth ones have sat in a drawer.

 

[Colleen27]

As I've said before, there is a small but very real percentage of people who for whatever reason don't want good news on this. I don't get it, but it's clearly true.

I don't think it is a matter of not wanting good news so much as not wanting rose-tinted glasses that do more harm than good in the long run. Look at where we're at right now, at the levels of resistance to any sort of modifications to keep the virus in check. A big part of that is because our leaders didn't have the leadership to tell people the truth up front. Instead, they went with "two weeks to flatten the curve" and "sacrifice now to have (football/school/holidays/whatever) later" and other cheerfully optimistic predictions that were never grounded in reality, and now no one knows what to believe or who to trust. Now the vaccine messaging is going the same way, with "finding a vaccine" being presented as some sort of magical switch that will allow life to resume as normal. And it may be that, eventually... but not this year and probably not 2021.

 

[Jonfw2]

I don't think it is a matter of not wanting good news so much as not wanting rose-tinted glasses that do more harm than good in the long run. Look at where we're at right now, at the levels of resistance to any sort of modifications to keep the virus in check. A big part of that is because our leaders didn't have the leadership to tell people the truth up front. Instead, they went with "two weeks to flatten the curve" and "sacrifice now to have (football/school/holidays/whatever) later" and other cheerfully optimistic predictions that were never grounded in reality, and now no one knows what to believe or who to trust. Now the vaccine messaging is going the same way, with "finding a vaccine" being presented as some sort of magical switch that will allow life to resume as normal. And it may be that, eventually... but not this year and probably not 2021.

This isn't "rose colored glasses". This is real. I would argue you and a few others here have opaque glasses that you wear in order to not see anything.

 

[jlwhitney]

But in all fairness, that's not even a drop in the bucket of what is needed. Don't get me wrong, progress toward a vaccine is a good thing... but let's be realistic about today's news. Pfizer is aiming to have 50 million doses of a two-dose vaccine that needs infrastructure we don't have to keep it at -90° during distribution. That means they'll have enough for 25 million people to get vaccinated this year, and it will likely only be available in a small number of locations capable of supporting those highly specialized storage and transport needs. Next year, they'll have enough for 650 million more people, which is a big jump of course, but those storage and transport issues (as well as the balance of international distribution) will still have to be addressed. And hopefully they'll be willing and able to ramp up still further or a second vaccine candidate will be approved, because at that pace, it would take more than a decade to produce enough to meet global demand.

People still seem to be seeing this as "once there is a vaccine, the pandemic is over", when the reality is that having a vaccine and getting it to enough people to make a difference are two entirely separate issues.

You are still forgetting that pandemics end one way or another, come March we will be in a different place. Treating severe cases have already improved as is and should hopefully improve, more research in general on how the virus is working and so much more. Vaccine is only one part.

 

[Jonfw2]

You are still forgetting that pandemics end one way or another, come March we will be in a different place. Treating severe cases have already improved as is and should hopefully improve, more research in general on how the virus is working and so much more. Vaccine is only one part.

Absolutely correct. Well said.

 

[jlwhitney]

I don't think it is a matter of not wanting good news so much as not wanting rose-tinted glasses that do more harm than good in the long run. Look at where we're at right now, at the levels of resistance to any sort of modifications to keep the virus in check. A big part of that is because our leaders didn't have the leadership to tell people the truth up front. Instead, they went with "two weeks to flatten the curve" and "sacrifice now to have (football/school/holidays/whatever) later" and other cheerfully optimistic predictions that were never grounded in reality, and now no one knows what to believe or who to trust. Now the vaccine messaging is going the same way, with "finding a vaccine" being presented as some sort of magical switch that will allow life to resume as normal. And it may be that, eventually... but not this year and probably not 2021.

Don't forget there are many people that have resumed an almost normal life already. 2021 will be better, every month in we are closer to the end and also more and more creativity and knowledge that has helped allow many thing to operate and happen in many areas.

 

[jlwhitney]

Absolutely correct. Well said.

Thank You! Drives me nuts how much this fact gets pushed aside.

 

[Jonfw2]

Thank You! Drives me nuts how much this fact gets pushed aside.

For sure. I've been telling clients for weeks now that getting passed this is a "three headed monster" of improved testing, better treatments, and a vaccine- all in combination.

 

[snappy]

I too watched the 45 minute interview of the Pfizer CEO, Bourla, uninterrupted by commercial breaks. Likely as Bourla suggested, the biggest medical advance in 100 years. I am both emotional and excited. This means hope for spending time with my infirm 90 year old mom, my senior aged husband with multiple comorbitities, our children who live across the country, extended family and friends who live across the country. The sun is up for me. Now if hurricane ETA will just go away.

 

[skeeter31]

It’s definitely good news and a much better efficacy than I think most were expecting out of the first vaccine. I’m extremely happy. But I do think some of the other points being brought up can’t be dismissed out of hand as some on here are doing. It’s true that while the production numbers that Pfizer is indicating seem huge upon first read, when you look at the population of the world, it is quite small and leads to the fact that most normal people won’t be eligible to receive the vaccine in 2021 from this batch. 1.3 billion doses in 2021 (which needs to be split in half due to it being a 2 dose vaccine) means only 650 million people worldwide can get the vaccine in 2021. That will mainly be politicians, first responders, hospital workers, etc. That is excellent, but it’s not the worldwide roll out that people are expecting that will get the world back to 100% normal next year.

What I hope is that other companies are right behind Pfizer (with the same sort of vaccine and not a vaccine that just limits symptoms but doesn’t prevent one from catching COVID). If there are 3-4 companies that are each able to produce 1.3 doses in 2021, then there is a real chance of this being the savior within a year! Just have to hope those other companies show as much promise as Pfizer right now!

 

[jlwhitney]

For sure. I've been telling clients for weeks now that getting passed this is a "three headed monster" of improved testing, better treatments, and a vaccine- all in combination.

and time . Even the Spanish flu ended with no vaccine or really even any great treatments.

 

[Jonfw2]

It’s definitely good news and a much better efficacy than I think most were expecting out of the first vaccine. I’m extremely happy. But I do think some of the other points being brought up can’t be dismissed out of hand as some on here are doing. It’s true that while the production numbers that Pfizer is indicating seem huge upon first read, when you look at the population of the world, it is quite small and leads to the fact that most normal people won’t be eligible to receive the vaccine in 2021 from this batch. 1.3 billion doses in 2021 (which needs to be split in half due to it being a 2 dose vaccine) means only 650 million people worldwide can get the vaccine in 2021. That will mainly be politicians, first responders, hospital workers, etc. That is excellent, but it’s not the worldwide roll out that people are expecting that will get the world back to 100% normal next year.

What I hope is that other companies are right behind Pfizer (with the same sort of vaccine and not a vaccine that just limits symptoms but doesn’t prevent one from catching COVID). If there are 3-4 companies that are each able to produce 1.3 doses in 2021, then there is a real chance of this being the savior within a year! Just have to hope those other companies show as much promise as Pfizer right now!

JnJ, Moderna, and Astra Zeneca will have news very soon on theirs. And they are all mass producing right now as well.