The Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Approval May Be the Most Globally Important Yet

 https://time.com/5925495/oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-approval/


Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was not the first - Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were earlier.

And it's not the most effective - effectiveness of 70% vs. 95% for the other two.

But it could be a big step toward bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control worldwide, especially for India to Brazil to South Africa.

- Cheaper: $3-$4, vs $25-$37 a dose for Moderna and $20 a dose for Pfizer. 

- Easier to transport and store: only need stnard refrigeration, and will remain viable for 6 months. 

- More available: AstraZeneca and Oxford have worked with manufacturers across the world to produce millions of doses already, and the company says it hopes to make 3 billion more in 2021. With the current two-dose regimen, that’s enough to vaccine nearly 20% of the world’s population. Pfizer has set a target of delivering 1.3 billion doses for 2021. Moderna, an upstart pharmaceutical company, says it hopes to produce between 500 million and 1 billion doses. However, rich countries have already claimed much of the expected supply of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.

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