© Andrew Medichini/AP
Moderna chairman Noubar Afeyan
Moderna chairman Noubar Afeyan
In an interview with the Associated Press, Noubar Afeyan also reiterated a pledge Moderna made a year ago not to enforce patent infringement on anyone else making a coronavirus vaccine during the pandemic.
"We didn't have to do that. We think that was the responsible thing to do. Within the next six to nine months, the most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them. We want that to be helping the world."The United Nations health agency has pressed Moderna to share its vaccine formula.
Mr Afeyan said the company analysed whether it would be better to share the messenger RNA technology and determined that it could expand production and deliver billions of additional doses in 2022.
Asked about appeals from the World Health Organisation and others, Mr Afeyan contended that such pleas assumed
"that we couldn't get enough capacity, but in fact we know we can. We went from zero production to having one billion doses in less than a year."Referring to the Massachusetts-based company's sprint to develop the vaccine and produce it in large quantities, he said:
"We think we will be able to go from one to three billion in 2022. We think we are doing everything we can to help this pandemic."
Comment: Sprinkle the holy water and man the vaccine...all strategies are in high gear, merely a poke away from back-patting success. And then, like the needle in this proverbial haystack of claims, there is pesky reality.
See also: