You are reading a single comment by @lynx and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
-
I understand, and agree with you that the vaccines production levels being the biggest ever.
The issues I have, which may have my own bias is:
-The announcement that 'we' bought this number of vaccines, first to approve as we are no longer part of the EU etc.
The information was a statement of one fact, without giving any other information such as the timescale that we would receive the purchased two vaccines, how storage and distribution would need to be very different and how this country had prepared for it.
lynx
I think most of your comments were answered in the articles and comments above?
The number of shots the government has bought is not enough?
Its been reported that they have ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford Vaccine and 40 million of the pfizer vaccine. Enough to cover 2 doses for the whole population.
Fact is, there is not currently 160 million vials of vaccine waiting on a shelf somewhere waiting to be purchased.
How quickly it can be manufactured and distributed is a different problem, made more difficult because every country wants it.
Example: 15 billion doses needed for 2 doses for the whole world.
Biggest vaccine producer (Serum Institute) makes 1.5 billion vaccines in a year. (of all types)
Has agreements to produce vaccines for 92 countries. As they are based in India, there will be priority demand for home country use.
Even if they tried to double the manufacture, they still need other elements of the supply chain, basics such as hundreds of millions of glass vials, to accelerate the distribution.
Many things could get in the way to slow distribution, such as the Belgian viral vectors factory being blamed for lower slow down in manufacture for Astra Zeneca.
Also Pfizer has hit manufacturing delays, which is pretty unsurprising, given that this is the biggest order of any vaccine in history...