Why was Pfizer's vaccine developed so quickly, and why should this speed not worry the public?
Why was Pfizer's vaccine developed so quickly, and why should this speed not worry the public?
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On January 11, 2020, the CEO of BioNTech Dr. Ugur Sahin, designed 10 different possible candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine in one day. Two of them were selected for study in initial COVID-19 vaccine trials, and one (the mRNA-1273 vaccine) advanced onwards to trial phase 2/3, and has now been approved for emergency use in countries around the world such as the UK, Israel, Singapore, and the US, with other authorizations pending. In addition to the vaccine's rapid design, the timeline from start to approvals (under one year) is also the shortest overall vaccine timeline ever. There are two primary reasons that the Pfizer vaccine was developed so quickly: 1) The use of mRNA vaccine technology, and 2) the rapid sharing of the COVID-19 virus’ genetic sequence. The mRNA-1273 vaccine works by injecting genetic information from the coronavirus into human cells. This instructs the body to make special spike proteins like the coronavirus, and causes the immune system to respond effectively against the virus. This specific method means that BioNTech only needed the genetic sequence of the COVID-19 virus to design a vaccine. Other methods involve more timely processes, like weakening or killing a virus, or producing part of the virus in the lab. The mRNA process involves slotting genetic material from the virus into a tested and reliable delivery “package.” The process, also known as an mRNA vaccine “platform technology,” is not the most traditional vaccine approach, but has been in development for over 20 years. mRNA vaccines are non-infectious, so this type of vaccine can have safety benefits over conventional vaccines that contain weakened or inactivated germs. Production for mRNA vaccines is also cell-free and tends to be faster, cheaper and easier to scale than cell-based vaccine manufacturing techniques (ex. inactivated influenza vaccines are typically grown in cultured cells). China’s initial rapid identification of the genetic sequence and early sharing of the sequence globally on January 10, 2020, prior even to the understanding of human-to-human spread of COVID-19, promoted rapid availability of this critical vaccine development data. The speed of the Pfizer vaccine timeline was also aided by other factors, such as ongoing work studying coronaviruses, a growth in preprint publications (where researchers can share findings before the peer-review publication process is completed), and the unprecedented scale of COVID-19 that continues to infect, harm, and kill people across the world, leading to more resources being allocated to preventing and treating COVID-19 and well as expedited logistical timelines. There are multiple, clear, reasons that explain both the quick design of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and the quick overall Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine timeline, none of which jeopardize the safety or efficacy of the vaccine.
On January 11, 2020, the CEO of BioNTech Dr. Ugur Sahin, designed 10 different possible candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine in one day. Two of them were selected for study in initial COVID-19 vaccine trials, and one (the mRNA-1273 vaccine) advanced onwards to trial phase 2/3, and has now been approved for emergency use in countries around the world such as the UK, Israel, Singapore, and the US, with other authorizations pending. In addition to the vaccine's rapid design, the timeline from start to approvals (under one year) is also the shortest overall vaccine timeline ever. There are two primary reasons that the Pfizer vaccine was developed so quickly: 1) The use of mRNA vaccine technology, and 2) the rapid sharing of the COVID-19 virus’ genetic sequence. The mRNA-1273 vaccine works by injecting genetic information from the coronavirus into human cells. This instructs the body to make special spike proteins like the coronavirus, and causes the immune system to respond effectively against the virus. This specific method means that BioNTech only needed the genetic sequence of the COVID-19 virus to design a vaccine. Other methods involve more timely processes, like weakening or killing a virus, or producing part of the virus in the lab. The mRNA process involves slotting genetic material from the virus into a tested and reliable delivery “package.” The process, also known as an mRNA vaccine “platform technology,” is not the most traditional vaccine approach, but has been in development for over 20 years. mRNA vaccines are non-infectious, so this type of vaccine can have safety benefits over conventional vaccines that contain weakened or inactivated germs. Production for mRNA vaccines is also cell-free and tends to be faster, cheaper and easier to scale than cell-based vaccine manufacturing techniques (ex. inactivated influenza vaccines are typically grown in cultured cells). China’s initial rapid identification of the genetic sequence and early sharing of the sequence globally on January 10, 2020, prior even to the understanding of human-to-human spread of COVID-19, promoted rapid availability of this critical vaccine development data. The speed of the Pfizer vaccine timeline was also aided by other factors, such as ongoing work studying coronaviruses, a growth in preprint publications (where researchers can share findings before the peer-review publication process is completed), and the unprecedented scale of COVID-19 that continues to infect, harm, and kill people across the world, leading to more resources being allocated to preventing and treating COVID-19 and well as expedited logistical timelines. There are multiple, clear, reasons that explain both the quick design of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and the quick overall Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine timeline, none of which jeopardize the safety or efficacy of the vaccine.
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What our experts say
On January 11, 2020, the CEO of BioNTech Dr. Ugur Sahin, designed 10 different possible candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine in one day. Two of them were selected for study in initial COVID-19 vaccine trials, and one (the mRNA-1273 vaccine) advanced onwards to trial phase 2/3, and has now been approved for emergency use in countries around the world such as the UK, Israel, Singapore, and the US, with other authorizations pending. In addition to the vaccine's rapid design, the timeline from start to approvals (under one year) is also the shortest overall vaccine timeline ever.
There are two primary reasons that the Pfizer vaccine was developed so quickly: 1) The use of mRNA vaccine technology, and 2) the rapid sharing of the COVID-19 virus’ genetic sequence.
The mRNA-1273 vaccine works by injecting genetic information from the coronavirus into human cells. This instructs the body to make special spike proteins like the coronavirus, and causes the immune system to respond effectively against the virus. This specific method means that BioNTech only needed the genetic sequence of the COVID-19 virus to design a vaccine. Other methods involve more timely processes, like weakening or killing a virus, or producing part of the virus in the lab.
The mRNA process involves slotting genetic material from the virus into a tested and reliable delivery “package.” The process, also known as an mRNA vaccine “platform technology,” is not the most traditional vaccine approach, but has been in development for over 20 years.
mRNA vaccines are non-infectious, so this type of vaccine can have safety benefits over conventional vaccines that contain weakened or inactivated germs. Production for mRNA vaccines is also cell-free and tends to be faster, cheaper and easier to scale than cell-based vaccine manufacturing techniques (ex. inactivated influenza vaccines are typically grown in cultured cells).
China’s initial rapid identification of the genetic sequence and early sharing of the sequence globally on January 10, 2020, prior even to the understanding of human-to-human spread of COVID-19, promoted rapid availability of this critical vaccine development data.
The speed of the Pfizer vaccine timeline was also aided by other factors, such as ongoing work studying coronaviruses, a growth in preprint publications (where researchers can share findings before the peer-review publication process is completed), and the unprecedented scale of COVID-19 that continues to infect, harm, and kill people across the world, leading to more resources being allocated to preventing and treating COVID-19 and well as expedited logistical timelines.
There are multiple, clear, reasons that explain both the quick design of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and the quick overall Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine timeline, none of which jeopardize the safety or efficacy of the vaccine.
On January 11, 2020, the CEO of BioNTech Dr. Ugur Sahin, designed 10 different possible candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine in one day. Two of them were selected for study in initial COVID-19 vaccine trials, and one (the mRNA-1273 vaccine) advanced onwards to trial phase 2/3, and has now been approved for emergency use in countries around the world such as the UK, Israel, Singapore, and the US, with other authorizations pending. In addition to the vaccine's rapid design, the timeline from start to approvals (under one year) is also the shortest overall vaccine timeline ever.
There are two primary reasons that the Pfizer vaccine was developed so quickly: 1) The use of mRNA vaccine technology, and 2) the rapid sharing of the COVID-19 virus’ genetic sequence.
The mRNA-1273 vaccine works by injecting genetic information from the coronavirus into human cells. This instructs the body to make special spike proteins like the coronavirus, and causes the immune system to respond effectively against the virus. This specific method means that BioNTech only needed the genetic sequence of the COVID-19 virus to design a vaccine. Other methods involve more timely processes, like weakening or killing a virus, or producing part of the virus in the lab.
The mRNA process involves slotting genetic material from the virus into a tested and reliable delivery “package.” The process, also known as an mRNA vaccine “platform technology,” is not the most traditional vaccine approach, but has been in development for over 20 years.
mRNA vaccines are non-infectious, so this type of vaccine can have safety benefits over conventional vaccines that contain weakened or inactivated germs. Production for mRNA vaccines is also cell-free and tends to be faster, cheaper and easier to scale than cell-based vaccine manufacturing techniques (ex. inactivated influenza vaccines are typically grown in cultured cells).
China’s initial rapid identification of the genetic sequence and early sharing of the sequence globally on January 10, 2020, prior even to the understanding of human-to-human spread of COVID-19, promoted rapid availability of this critical vaccine development data.
The speed of the Pfizer vaccine timeline was also aided by other factors, such as ongoing work studying coronaviruses, a growth in preprint publications (where researchers can share findings before the peer-review publication process is completed), and the unprecedented scale of COVID-19 that continues to infect, harm, and kill people across the world, leading to more resources being allocated to preventing and treating COVID-19 and well as expedited logistical timelines.
There are multiple, clear, reasons that explain both the quick design of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and the quick overall Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine timeline, none of which jeopardize the safety or efficacy of the vaccine.
Context and background
COVID-19 vaccines are an important tool in addressing the global pandemic that has sickened and killed millions of people around the world. Teams of scientists have worked hard to develop and test vaccine candidates on an accelerated timeline, driven by the need for urgency as well as the need for rigor.
The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is one of the vaccine candidates that has been shown to be both safe and effective in large scale trials of over 40,000 participants, demonstrating 95% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease.
Safety measured over ~2 months was found to be similar to that of other viral vaccines approved for the market. Regulatory agencies use a rigorous process to approve each vaccine, and the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine was approved for use in the United States in December 2020. Scientists are continuing to collect data as they monitor the distribution of vaccines. On January 5, 2021, vaccine trackers reported that more than 14.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines (including the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine) have been administered to people around the world.
Despite the promising data, research polls and surveys have found that there is hesitancy among some people in accepting the COVID-19 vaccines, which are needed to protect lives and enable economic reopenings. Anyone who is concerned about vaccine safety for their specific situation or health condition is encouraged to check with their healthcare provider. There are also reputable free resources (including from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that can help explain the vaccines for people who have questions but are not yet scheduled to receive their first dose.
Misleading posts online suggest that accelerated vaccine development timelines mean the COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe. Some of the posts take information out of context from a Wall Street Journal podcast interview with Dr. Ugur Sahin, from the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine development team. While new technologies and scientific knowledge enabled initial “rough” designs to be made in a few hours “over one weekend” in late January of 2020, it took more than 10 months of careful effort by many experts working together in order for the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine to be fully developed, tested, and approved for use (the United Kingdom’s regulatory agency was the first to approve this vaccine on December 2, 2020). When hearing claims about the vaccines or about COVID-19 in general, experts recommend checking the sources to see if the information is reliable and asking questions to people who are experienced on the subject matter.
COVID-19 vaccines are an important tool in addressing the global pandemic that has sickened and killed millions of people around the world. Teams of scientists have worked hard to develop and test vaccine candidates on an accelerated timeline, driven by the need for urgency as well as the need for rigor.
The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is one of the vaccine candidates that has been shown to be both safe and effective in large scale trials of over 40,000 participants, demonstrating 95% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease.
Safety measured over ~2 months was found to be similar to that of other viral vaccines approved for the market. Regulatory agencies use a rigorous process to approve each vaccine, and the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine was approved for use in the United States in December 2020. Scientists are continuing to collect data as they monitor the distribution of vaccines. On January 5, 2021, vaccine trackers reported that more than 14.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines (including the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine) have been administered to people around the world.
Despite the promising data, research polls and surveys have found that there is hesitancy among some people in accepting the COVID-19 vaccines, which are needed to protect lives and enable economic reopenings. Anyone who is concerned about vaccine safety for their specific situation or health condition is encouraged to check with their healthcare provider. There are also reputable free resources (including from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) that can help explain the vaccines for people who have questions but are not yet scheduled to receive their first dose.
Misleading posts online suggest that accelerated vaccine development timelines mean the COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe. Some of the posts take information out of context from a Wall Street Journal podcast interview with Dr. Ugur Sahin, from the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine development team. While new technologies and scientific knowledge enabled initial “rough” designs to be made in a few hours “over one weekend” in late January of 2020, it took more than 10 months of careful effort by many experts working together in order for the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine to be fully developed, tested, and approved for use (the United Kingdom’s regulatory agency was the first to approve this vaccine on December 2, 2020). When hearing claims about the vaccines or about COVID-19 in general, experts recommend checking the sources to see if the information is reliable and asking questions to people who are experienced on the subject matter.
Resources
- The co-founder of BioNTech designed the coronavirus vaccine it made with Pfizer in just a few hours over a single day (Business Insider)
- The Creator of the Record-Setting Covid Vaccine (Wall Street Journal)
- Pfizer and BioNTech announce the publication of results from landmark phase 3 trial of BNT162B2 COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the New England Journal of Medicine (Pfizer)
- Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines (U.S. CDC)
- Recipient Education: Understanding and Explaining mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (U.S. CDC)
- Why are mRNA vaccines so exciting? (Harvard Health Publishing)
- The promise of mRNA vaccines: a biotech and industrial perspective (Nature) More Than 14.6 Million Shots Given: Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker (Bloomberg)
- The co-founder of BioNTech designed the coronavirus vaccine it made with Pfizer in just a few hours over a single day (Business Insider)
- The Creator of the Record-Setting Covid Vaccine (Wall Street Journal)
- Pfizer and BioNTech announce the publication of results from landmark phase 3 trial of BNT162B2 COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the New England Journal of Medicine (Pfizer)
- Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines (U.S. CDC)
- Recipient Education: Understanding and Explaining mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (U.S. CDC)
- Why are mRNA vaccines so exciting? (Harvard Health Publishing)
- The promise of mRNA vaccines: a biotech and industrial perspective (Nature) More Than 14.6 Million Shots Given: Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker (Bloomberg)
