Unlike the two U.S.-based vaccines, the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine is more affordable, easier to store and distribute rapidly heading into 2021. The British pharmaceutical company plans to produce up to 3 billion doses for the upcoming year.
“AstraZeneca is working with its global partners to continue building manufacturing capacity of up to three billion doses of the vaccine globally in 2021 on a rolling basis, pending regulatory approvals. The vaccine can be stored, transported, and handled at normal refrigerated conditions (two-eight degrees Celsius/ 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least six months and administered within existing healthcare settings,” the British pharmaceutical company said in a statement.
A previous report indicated that AstraZeneca will its vaccine at $4 to $5 per dose, significantly cheaper than Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) for their vaccines.
Pfizer-BioNTech is reportedly charging the United States $19.50 per dose, or $39 for a two-shot immunization. On the other hand, Moderna charges around $32 to $37 per dose for smaller purchases and less for bigger deals.
Health experts are confident the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is effective against the new COVID-19 variant
The UK’s approval of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine follows the discovery of a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus ripping through the nation. The new variant appeared as early as September in Kent. Scientists report the N501Y strain is 70% more contagious than other variants and has 23 unique genetic changes, far from the norm.
