The long wait for a vaccine for coronavirus will be coming to an end sooner than expected. Pfizer, an American pharmaceutical company, launched a pilot delivery program for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine today.
The vaccine delivery trial will be carried out in four U.S states. The company built deep freeze suitcase which can be tightly sealed and shipped even in non-refrigerated trucks.
As per the international media reports, the vaccine, said to be 90 per cent effective, requires ultra-cold storage facilities. It must be kept at nearly minus 38 degree Celsius. That’s about four times colder than the extreme winter temperature in Thimphu.
Earlier, experts warned that the U.S lacked ultra-cold storage trucks or cargo to ship the vaccine doses.
Meanwhile, yesterday, another US biotechnology company, Moderna said its vaccine is 94.5 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19. Unlike Pfizer’s vaccine, Moderna’s vaccine does not require ultra-cold storage.
So far, the coronavirus infected more than 55 million people and killed more than 1.3 million people. The US is the hardest hit with 11.2 million cases.
Sangay Chezom
