This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Vaccine 'Wars'?
Details of Russia's Sputnik vaccine for Covid-19 have started to emerge (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/24/russia-says-data-on-sputnik-covid-vaccine-shows-95-efficacy). Details are not always clear but it is claimed that it has a 95% efficieny in protecting against infection (comparable to the Pfizer version). It is also claimed that its effectiveness is partially due to using 2 (rather than 1) human adenovirus as vectors (details of which, they claim, they are happy to pass on to the Oxford/AstraZeneca team). Treatment will reportedly require 2 shots of the vaccine and it will retail at about $10 per dose. Some people are concerned that the Russian authorities licenced Sputnik before its mandatory stage 3 trials had been completed. More fuss is already developing around Hungary's interest in using this vaccine. Medications are not supposed to be used generally in the EU, before they have been formally approved by the European Medicines Agency (recently moved to the Netherlands from London). Everyone is keen to get safe and effective vaccines to (hopefully) eradicate Covid-19. It is clearly evident, however, that developing and marketing vaccines is also driven by:- a) national prestige (our science is better than your science!), b) ability to influence the world's regard for the country of origin and c) effectiveness in attracting an awful lot of foreign finance (it's a global market).
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