Thread by @NickytaLeb

The fragility, limited shelf-life and wastage of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines is a feature, not a bug.

$MRNA $PFE

The West's (one sided) loyalty to the mRNA vaccines, despite a non-negligible resistance to the platform from some patients & parents, some rising contraindications & undeniably increasing prices, loyalty to the point of cancelling orders from other companies, is almost comical.

Countries basically create a vaccine duopoly themselves, with their own research ( $MRNA) or gov funding (OWS), then with their own orders, then making it the only recognized vaccine for foreigners' vax-pass, then complain of duopoly tactics & higher prices.
#SelfInflicted

Now that we all know (or admit) that the "mRNA vaccines can be updated in 2 mins/hours/days/weeks" is a lie, that the price is going the other way, that the route of administration may be suboptimal, it's time for governments to think of better longer-term solution.

It does not take some math genius, Simpson's paradox-crunching-in-his-sleep Beautiful Mind to figure out that $175 dollars (or whatever $PFE consider "normal" pricing per single dose) can buy a lot of vaccine doses from other platforms and that more people vaccinated = better.

It is neutralizing antibodies that protect. These are induced by the spike protein, any S made in anything: plants, vero cells, moths, virus in eggs, etc.

If you think mRNA #LuxVax are the only ones who can also induce T cells, you're wrong + the T cells are in the wrong place.

"But the T cells will arrive to the lungs/nose in time. Give them a few days." Fine, but we already have these T cells. Anyone infected or vaccinated with mRNA (or Advector) has them. If you can wait a few days for CD8s, then just boost with something else.

If the most important things are cost, shelf-life, ease-of-updates, (lack of) reactogenicity, induction of neutralizing antibodies, route (?) and public uptake, you'll find that other vaccine companies will be the better choice in the "endemic" phase.