Dec. 20, 2020 – On Dec. 11, 2020 when most people were packing presents to ship to family and friends, FedEx officials, in addition to handling their annual holiday rush, were activating a plan to ship COVID-19 vaccine. FedEx worked closely with the federal government and Pfizer to be ready to ship as soon as the vaccine was approved. Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company that made the vaccine.
And on that day, Pfizer officials received word from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the company had emergency authorization to begin shipping the COVID-19 vaccine for widespread distribution.
FDA Video explaining the Emergency Use Authorization for the COVID-19 Vacicne
Work began on a vaccine soon after the COVID-19 viral genome was known last spirng. The White House created “Operation Warp Speed.” Normally new vaccines take years to develop. Few people thought it possible to have a new vaccine in less than one year. But they did.
How viral vaccines were made before COVID
For years, viral vaccines have been made by finding an antigen or antigens (proteins) on the virus that stimulates a person’s immune system to form antibodies. These antibodies prevent an infection. Or if an infection occurs, it is not as severe. The antigens in the vaccine are injected so a person can begin forming antibodies. This is how the influenza vaccine works.
Influenza virus and Coronavirus: similar structure but in different virus families
outside of the virus similar to the coronaviruses.
(Photo: CDC)
by preventing the virus from making new protein spikes. (Graphic: CDC)
COVID-19 Vaccine: New Type of Vaccine
Viruses contain only one type of nucleic acid, either RNA (ribonucleic acid) or DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) but never both. COVID-19 is a RNA virus. The COVID-19 vaccine is a new type of vaccine. Pfizer had already been researching viral vaccines targeting the messenger RNA (mRNA) as a way to prevent viruses frommultiplying and causing disease. But they had not produced one before COVID-19.
Covid-19 mRNA vaccine teaches the body how to make a protein (or part of a protein) that then stimulates the production of anitbodies to the virus. These antibodies protect the body in the event of an infection with live virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Or in the event of an infection, it will be less severe.
Beacuse scientists had been researching this new type of viral vaccine for years, they were able to quickly use the same technique to develop a vaccine to a virus they had never seen before – the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
The virus dissolves a portion of the cell membrane to gain access to the cell.
(Photo: NIAID)
Quote from Pfizer
“Pfizer’s purpose is breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, and in our 171-year history there has never been a more urgent need for a breakthrough than today with hundreds of thousands of people continuing to suffer from COVID-19,” Albert Bourla, Pfizer chairman and CEO, said in a press release. “As a U.S. company, today’s news brings great pride and tremendous joy that Pfizer has risen to the challenge to develop a vaccine that has the potential to help bring an end to this devastating pandemic. We have worked tirelessly to make the impossible possible, steadfast in our belief that science will win.”
Pfizer is producing vaccine at three locations in the United States. Those are: Kalamazoo, Michigan; Andover, Massachusetts; and St. Louis, Missouri.
Pfizer partnered with BioNTech to develop the vaccine in warp speed.
Quote from BioNTech
“We founded BioNTech to develop new technologies and medicines that utilize the full potential of the immune system to fight serious diseases,” Ugur Sahin, M.D., BioNTech CEO and co-founder, said in a press release. “Today we are another step closer to our vision. We believe that today’s Emergency Use Authorization, and the subsequent distribution of our vaccine that has demonstrated an efficacy rate of 95 percent and a favorable safety profile, will help to save lives across the United States and could accelerate a return to Word of the Day normality.”
According to FedEx, the FedEx network can handle COVID-19 vaccine shipments around the world. The company has temperature-control solutions, near real-time monitoring capabilities and a dedicated healthcare team to support the express transportation of vaccines and bioscience shipments. The vaccine needs to be kept very cold in order to keep it effective.
Quote from FedEx
“This is among the most important work in the history of our company, and we’re honored to be a part of the effort to help end this pandemic,” Raj Subramaniam, FedEx president and chief operating officer, said in a press release. “I am immensely proud of our dedicated team members who continue to go above and beyond to help ensure the safe movement of these critical COVID-19 vaccines, especially during our busiest holiday shipping season to date. This is who we are and what we do at FedEx.”
On Dec. 19, 2020, FedEx announced it would also be shipping a second COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna. It is also a mRNA vaccine.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is a genome?
2. How does the COVID-19 virus spread from person to person?
3. What is an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)?
INQUIRY QUESTIONS
1. Why was an Emergency Use Authorization needed for the COVID-19 vaccine?
2. Why was FedEx able to respond so quickly to the needs of shipping the vaccine?
3. Why was the COVID-19 vaccine so urgently needed?