Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine

Context

• Pfizer has reported that its vaccine, BNT162b2, has been more than 90 per cent effective in late-stage trials. 

Key Points

• US drug-maker Pfizer developed the Covid-19 vaccine with German biotech firm BioNTech.
• This is a vaccine that was developed using mRNA technology.

What are mRNA vaccines?

• It makes use of the messenger RNA molecules that tell cells what proteins to build.
• The mRNA is coded to tell the cells to recreate the spike protein of the novel coronavirus.
• Once the mRNA is injected into the body, the cells will use its instructions, creating copies of the spike protein.
• This is in return expected to prompt the immune cells to create antibodies to fight it.
• mRNA vaccines are synthetically developed. They don’t need the virus to be cultivated and replicated.
• Another advantage is that they can be manufactured at a large scale in large vats called bioreactors.

Logistical challenges:

• The vaccine may run into logistical issues on account of cold storage. It needs to be stored at temperatures below -90°F.
• This would require an ultra-cold storage system, as storing it at refrigerated temperatures reportedly for more than two days may render it ineffective.