Are Vaccine Makers Facing the Biggest Challenge in the History of Medical Manufacturing?

COVID-19 vaccine development, in record time, will be quite a challenge. Producing an adequate quantity of the vaccine to end this global health crisis will be the most significant achievement in the history of medical manufacturing. And, while it's tough to make the vaccine, the good news is that the work is currently going on.

According to interviews with several vaccine makers and their supporters, from the deployment of experts in the middle of worldwide travel limitations to the management of extreme storage circumstances, and even intervening new vials and syringes for countless dosages, the path is scattered with challenging obstacles.

Any drawback in a supply chain that's not tested, which could expand from India to England and the United States, could either ruin or defer the multifaceted process of vaccine-making.

According to US Army's Center for Infectious Disease Research director, Col. Nelson Michael, who is working on the "Warp Speed" project of the government to distribute a vaccine at scale by the start of 2021, manufacturing firms typically have years to come up with the stuff, and now, they have just several weeks.

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A Stark Reality Faced

Most of the attention of the world is concentrated in the scientific battle to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. However, behind the race, medical and scientific experts are currently facing a stark reality.

The truth is that there may merely not have adequate capacity to manufacture, pack, and deliver billions of doses simultaneously.

Mostly, for quite some time now governments and companies have raced to scale-up equipment to deal with critical shortage in what's explained in the medical field as an "automated filling and finishing capacity" as the last step in the process of manufacturing.

In connection to this, engineering and technology expert Toby Peters said that this is the most major logistical challenge that the entire world has ever encountered. He added that there might be an estimated 60 percent of the populace that needs to be vaccinated.

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Developers Experimenting in Vaccines

Various vaccine developers, which include Moderna--the leader in the industry--are currently experimenting with more innovative ways to alleviate the excessive demand for cold storage of their vaccines, which presently require a -112 degree-Fahrenheit storage.

At present, there is ongoing work on the production of vials that would not break at extremely cold temperatures.

Meanwhile, according to news reports, travel restrictions result in more common issues. Specifically, Johnson & Johnson, with plans to begin clinical tests this summer, is facing a big challenge in sending its vaccine experts for the supervision of the official introduction of the production site.

When Will a Vaccine be Available?

By devising massive clinical tests engaging up to 30,000 volunteers for each vaccine, scientists look forward to finding out if a vaccine would be effective by October this year.

However, even if they do figure it out, manufacturing vaccines in bulk, getting controllers to sign off, and packing countless doses would still remain a struggle.

According to Seth Berkley, the GAVI vaccines alliance chief executive, the world is less likely to have that experience of not having vaccines to having adequate doses for all.

In an interview, Berkley added that it is probable to have a custom-made methodology, to begin with. He also explained that they are expecting to have up to two billion doses of vaccine this year to be distributed globally.

J&J, for its part, has partnered with the American government on a $1 billion investment to accelerate its vaccine development and production, even with its effectiveness yet to be proven.

The firm announced that Emergent and Biosolutions and Catalent would be its partner for the manufacturing of the vaccine in bulk in the country.

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