Pfizer and BioNTech combination COVID-19 and flu vaccine could be on the horizon



Pfizer and BioNTech have announced the launch of a phase 1 trial for a dual-purpose mRNA-based vaccine to tackle both influenza and COVID-19.

"The vaccine candidate combines Pfizer’s quadrivalent modRNA-based influenza vaccine candidate, qIRV (22/23), which is currently in Phase 3 clinical development, and Pfizer and BioNTech’s authorized Omicron-adapted bivalent COVID-19 BNT162b2 (Original/Omicron BA.4/BA.5) vaccine, each of which is based on BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA platform technology," according to a press release.

\u201cToday we announced a Phase 1 study with @BioNTech_Group of an #mRNA-based combination vaccine candidate for #influenza and #COVID19, aiming to help protect against both diseases at once. Learn more: https://t.co/6TOHyDCT0r\u201d
— Pfizer Inc. (@Pfizer Inc.) 1667473748

"The flexibility and manufacturing speed of the mRNA technology has demonstrated that it is well-suited for other respiratory diseases. Pfizer is deeply proud of our continued work to explore its potential to protect against influenza and COVID-19 in one combination vaccine, which we think could simplify immunization practices against these two respiratory pathogens, potentially leading to better vaccine uptake for both diseases," said Annaliesa Anderson, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief scientific officer of Pfizer's vaccine research and development team.

While the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been heavily hyped by public health officials, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tested positive for COVID-19 last month despite having received an updated vaccine in September. Then, after taking Paxlovid, she tested negative before eventually testing positive again.

Days after the first announcement that Walensky tested positive last month, President Joe Biden — who has previously tested positive for COVID-19 despite having been fully vaccinated and boosted twice — received an updated shot and urged others to follow suit. The White House also posted a cringeworthy video urging people to get vaccinated.

\u201cAvoid a spooky Thanksgiving.\n \nhttps://t.co/5SMDHKKopq.\u201d
— The White House (@The White House) 1666712125

During his experience with COVID-19 earlier this year, Biden also took Paxlovid, tested negative, and then tested positive again.

The CDC claims that the shots "are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. As with other vaccine-preventable diseases, you are protected best from COVID-19 when you stay up to date with the recommended vaccinations, including recommended boosters."

Pfizer CEO says vaccine is ready to be shipped 'overnight' across US once FDA authorizes



The chief executive of Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company behind the development of a vaccine with 95% effectiveness against COVID-19, said this week that his company is ready to ship the vaccine "overnight" to most places in the United States once it receives emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Pfizer, who produced the vaccine in conjunction with German company BioNTech, is expected to submit a request for that authorization "within days," according to a Wednesday press release about the conclusion of its Phase 3 human trials.

During an interview with the New York Times DealBook Online Summit the day before, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla explained that his company is prepared "to ship to most of the places [in the U.S.] overnight" — which is quite a feat considering the vaccine requires storage in vials at a temperature between -94 and -112 degrees Fahrenheit.

In order to distribute the vaccine safely and effectively, Pfizer produced special packaging containers to move the product while maintaining the required low temperature.

"Those boxes are isothermic boxes that have a GPS and also a temperature meter so we know at any point where the box is and what is the temperature so if something goes wrong, which we don't anticipate, we will not use the vaccine," explained Bourla in the interview. "Every box is a small box like that and can take 1,000 to 5,000 doses. And when we ship it, we don't need to use refrigeration. So we can ship it in cars, trucks, planes, boats, whatever. In the US, we will ship to most of the places overnight."

"So once we receive an address from the government, the next day the product will be there," he continued. "And once people receive it they can keep it for weeks in the box or they can keep it for months in their freezers or they can put it in refrigeration and keep it for a week, approximately. I think that the demand will be so big, it's going to be injected in hours rather than days or weeks. So we feel very confident about it."

BREAKING: We are proud to announce, along with @BioNTech_Group, that the Phase 3 study of our #COVID19 vaccine cand… https://t.co/IOvpc6OyQ2
— Pfizer Inc. (@Pfizer Inc.)1605701035.0

On Wednesday, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that a final assessment of trial data on their vaccine showed it was 95% effective against the disease and that it had cleared the safety milestone required by the FDA for emergency use. The two companies added that the vaccine's efficacy was consistent "across age, gender, race and ethnicity demographics."

"Based on current projections, the companies expect to produce globally up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021," they said in the statement.

A second vaccine, developed by Moderna, has also reported stunningly high success against COVID-19 in its human trials this week and also plans to apply for emergency use authorization in short order.

Barring any hiccups in the process, this means an effective vaccine could be available to millions of Americans by the end of the year.