Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
mRNA vaccines have proven just how astonishingly good they are, both in terms of speed of development and efficacy. Advanced economies with the money to buy them and the infrastructure to store and distribute them can and should use them. However, viral vector vaccines are much, much cheaper to produce and distribute and the real-world efficacy of Oxford/AZ is so good it is going to have a role in the world programme for a very long time to come.
I’m glad to see you acknowledge this because there have been times over the last year when you have seemed distinctly peeved at its success and have questioned its use within the UK at all, despite the very obvious and immediate need.
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I don’t think it was unreasonable to note that it had lower efficacy (and consequential impact on infections, hospitalisations or deaths) and a risk of not reaching the much sought after herd immunity threshold.
These concerns very much have proven to be realised. Indeed, the fact none of the vaccinations will get to the herd immunity threshold unless you can simultaneously vaccinate everyone at once with an mRNA vaccine has paradoxically created greater ongoing demand for all vaccines for years to come - including the lower efficacy ones. Which while good for big pharma (I note AstraZeneca are moving to a profit making model) isn’t necessarily the out everyone was hoping for in late 2020.