The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[serfty]

I don't think you can claim that only AZ is stopping spread vs serious illness, or the turn around in Israel wouldn't be so great.

I don't believe anyone is trying to claim that.

The converse is anyone who tried to claim that only Pfizer is stopping spread vs serious illness - or that Pfizer has significantly better efficacy than AZ - when it hasn't.

 

[drron]

Surely once there is widespread real world usage (6+months in the case of Pfizer, Moderna, AZ), the trial data becomes irrelevant as it is superseded by real world results?

Where Pfizer has been used (USA, Israel etc) we have seen dramatic drops in cases, seriousness of cases and so presumably Asymptomatic spread - that is more than marketing. I don't think you can claim that only AZ is stoping spread vs serious illness, or the turn around in Israel wouldn't be so great.

But you have said repeatedly that the Pfizer vaccine is more effective than AZ.That is only the case for the Phase 3 trials.And I agree with you that they are now irrelevant.I have said for a couple of months that the UK real world figures show no difference between AZ and Pfizer.South Korea figures now confirm that.
Israel's figures are not applicable here as they didn't use AZ.

 

[Lynda2475]

Israel's figures are not applicable here as they didn't use AZ.

But they speak to the real world effectiveness and safety of Pfizer as do the results from the USA and other countries. Ignoring data from countries who backed newer technologies is illogical. We haven't ignored the data on the poor performance of the Chinese vaccines in real world, just because those countries aren't also using Pfizer or AZ.

The MRNA vaccines being used in all age groups vs AZ being predominantly used in geriatrics.

The big one for me is the incidence of vaccine related blood clots as high a 1 in 200k with AZ (especially if you have European - Celtic or Scandinavian heritage as I do) vs 1 in a million with MRNA vaccines.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

May 11 report. (ie Yesterday May 10)

 

[drron]

Sorry @Lynda2475 you keep changing the subject as I was talking about the effectiveness of AZ compared to the Pfizer vaccine.The real world figures from the UK before there were reports of blood clots with the AZ already showed the effectiveness was virtually the same and that was with a similiar mix of ages as it is the blood clot issue that has caused the practice of AZ being given to older people.

The blood clots are a different issue and I agree that makes Pfizer safer at the moment.However we have now learnt how we need to treat these clots so the mortality should decline.With the early cases they were often given infusion of platelets which actually caused more clots so increasing mortality.

 

[Lynda2475]

However we have now learnt how we need to treat these clots so the mortality should decline

Although Id rather not get a blood clot than have to treat it. My BIL had blot clot after knee surgery and swears it was more painful than passing a kidney stone, i hope to never experience either event.

 

[clifford]

The MRNA vaccines being used in all age groups vs AZ being predominantly used in geriatrics.

I'm not sure that anyone over the age of 50 would like to be referred to as "geriatrics". It's a rather derogatory term, I think.

 

[Lynda2475]

Its a medical term not an insult generally used to describe older people. Most commonly applied to over 65's which outside Australia (50+) , UK (40+) and Canada (55+) is the age above which AZ is being used in most western Europe counties.

 

[Pushka]

Although Id rather not get a blood clot than have to treat it. My BIL had blot clot after knee surgery and swears it was more painful than passing a kidney stone, i hope to never experience either event.

Meh. I had one in my jugular vein. Painful but I’ve certainly experienced much worse pain. A Ruptured disc in back at 30 puts a lot of pain into perspective.

 

[drron]

As a medical term geriatric is diseases of older persons-a geriatric nurse a geriatrician etc.To use it referring to persons of age according to the Cambridge dictionary is offensive.They are elderly or older persons.75% of those aged over 85 still live in their own homes.Most are not medically "geriatric".

Geriatrics comes from 2 Greek words Geron meaning old man and iatros - healer.

The number of older Australians in paid employment has risen from 8% in 1990 to ~ 18% in 2018 and is continuing to rise.
I am 74 and still working.I can assure you I am not geriatric.

 

[mviy]

Moderna is getting added to the rollout in Australia. Sounds like probably not imminent that vaccinations will start, but later this year. Still it all helps:

Moderna deal to supply 25 million doses to Australia

US company Moderna has announced a new supply agreement with Australia for 25 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine.

www.news.com.au

The budget assumption about vaccination progress is sounding less optimistic than it did before now that there has been this announcement.

Edit: With 10 million doses coming this year, hopefully the authorities will approve it quickly and it can start to be rolled out.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Moderna Announces New Supply Agreement with Australia for 25 Million Doses of its COVID-19 Vaccine​

May 12, 2021 at 7:00 AM EDT
PDF Version
25 million doses includes 10 million doses of mRNA-1273 to begin delivery in 2021 and 15 million doses of updated variant booster candidate to begin delivery in 2022

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2021-- Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced a new supply agreement with the government of Australia for 25 million doses. This includes 10 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine against the ancestral strain (mRNA-1273) to be delivered in 2021 and 15 million doses of Moderna’s updated variant booster vaccine candidate to be delivered in 2022.

Purchase under this agreement is subject to regulatory approval of mRNA-1273 and booster vaccine candidates by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia. The Company expects to submit an application to the TGA shortly. As Moderna has continued to scale its commercial network, the Company announced earlier this year that it also plans to open a commercial subsidiary in Australia in 2021.

“We appreciate the partnership and support from the government of Australia with this first supply agreement for doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and our variant booster candidates,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “As we seek to protect people around the world with our COVID-19 vaccine and potentially our variant booster candidates, we look forward to continuing discussions with Australia about establishing potential local manufacturing opportunities.”

Initial data from Moderna’s Phase 2 study in the U.S. showed that a single 50 µg dose of mRNA-1273 or mRNA-1273.351 given as a booster to previously vaccinated individuals increased neutralizing antibody titer responses against SARS-CoV-2 and two variants of concern, B.1.351 (first identified in South Africa) and P.1 (first identified in Brazil). A booster dose of mRNA-1273.351, the Company’s strain-matched booster, achieved higher neutralizing antibody titers against the B.1.351 variant of concern than a booster dose of mRNA-1273. Safety and tolerability profiles following third dose booster injections of 50 µg of mRNA-1273 or mRNA-1273.351 were generally comparable to those observed after the second dose of mRNA-1273 in the previously reported Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies. A manuscript describing these preliminary results was submitted as a preprint to medRxiv and will be submitted for peer-reviewed publication upon completion of the multivalent mRNA-1273.211 booster arm.

Moderna Announces New Supply Agreement with Australia for 25 Million Doses of its COVID-19 Vaccine | Moderna, Inc.

25 million doses includes 10 million doses of mRNA-1273 to begin delivery in 2021 and 15 million doses of updated variant booster candidate to begin delivery in 2022 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. --(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2021-- Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA

investors.modernatx.com

They are also looking at potentially making some of it in Australia. As discussed earlier mRNA manufacturer of a Covid vaccine was not going to happen here unless a company such as Moderna chose to do so.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So Moderna to kick in later this year along with Novavax to give at least 4 vaccinae options. Other supply deals also are possibly being worked on.

 

[Jenya]

That sounds really good!
"SA Premier Steven Marshall has spoken to Health Minister Greg Hunt about a proposal to manufacture Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at a facility in the state. The manufacturing facility in Thebarton, in Adelaide’s inner west, has the capacity to mass produce the mRNA vaccines within 12 months."
That would be a breakthrough if this would really happened

 

[lovetravellingoz]

That sounds really good!
"SA Premier Steven Marshall has spoken to Health Minister Greg Hunt about a proposal to manufacture Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at a facility in the state. The manufacturing facility in Thebarton, in Adelaide’s inner west, has the capacity to mass produce the mRNA vaccines within 12 months."
That would be a breakthrough if this would really happened

There are a number of companies here in Australia that have the capability to manufacturer mRNA in Australia. The key sticking point was on the commercial side. ie 1/ Access to a license to do so (or a company that owns a mRNA Vaccine) and 2/ contract to supply, Without 1/ you cannot do 2/.

Companies like Moderna that have a vaccine could license, or they could establish their own facility.

 

[drron]

The best part of the news about getting the Moderna vaccine is that the chances of manufacturing the mRNA vaccines here in Australia has got a lot better.
Pfizer has not licenced other manufacturers to produce their covid vaccine.They produce their drugs in their own facilities.Moderna I think would like get a piece of the action not just with covid but future mRNA products.

 

[mviy]

I think part of the purpose of having both mRNA vaccines supplying Australia could be to try to extract the best deal possible for manufacturing mRNA vaccines here.

If the plan is to get Pfizer to manufacture here, then securing some supply of Moderna makes the threat of getting them to manufacture here much more credible.

 

[jase05]

So Moderna to kick in later this year along with Novavax to give at least 4 vaccinae options.

We likely won’t see Novavax here in Australia this year.

Novavax shares sink after it again delays timelines for seeking regulatory approval for its Covid vaccine​

Novavax on Monday again delayed its timeline for ramping up Covid-19 vaccine production and said it does not expect to seek regulatory authorization for the shot in the United States, Britain and Europe until the third quarter of 2021, sending its shares tumbling.

The Maryland-based company has repeatedly pushed back production forecasts and has struggled to access raw materials and equipment needed to make its vaccine. Novavax shares fell more than 9% in extended trading after closing nearly 9% lower on Monday.

The pushback of regulatory filings “to Q3 (from Q2) and a downward revision to time to full production to Q4 (from Q3), represent delays to prior timelines and difficulty in growing,” said Kelechi Chikere, an equity analyst at Jefferies in a Monday note.

Novavax said it does not expect to hit its production target of 150 million shots per month until the fourth quarter of 2021, later than its previous forecast of sometime in the third quarter. It had also previously said it could see U.S. regulatory authorization as soon as May.

 

[mviy]

Apparently Moderna is expected to arrive in the fourth quarter and the government is trying to bring forward some Pfizer deliveries to the third quarter.

Confusion over when Aussies will get two COVID-19 jabs

Australians were never expected to have two COVID-19 doses before the end of 2021, Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck says.

www.news.com.au

The PM has done a media release: Australia Secures Moderna Vaccines | Prime Minister of Australia

 

[Tiki]

So in a nutshell:

Population of Australia 25 million of which 15% are under 12.
40 million total Pfizer
10 million total Moderna this year.

So everyone who wants a mRNA vaccine can have one?