As Rollout Falters, Scientists Debate New Vaccination Tactics

 Kelly Baclija

Mr. Ippolito

AP Bio

January 7, 2020

Wu, Katherine J., and Rebecca Robbins. “As Rollout Falters, Scientists Debate New Vaccination Tactics” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Jan. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/01/03/health/coronavirus-vaccine-doses.html.

In “As Rollout Falters, Scientists Debate New Vaccination Tactics” by Katherine Wu and Rebecca Robbins, it is explained how scientists are wondering the question--is it the best course of action to delay second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in the United States? Should most of the population receive half-doses instead? Britain has already decided to delay the second doses in order to distribute the partial protection that is offered by a single shot instead of two. Health officials in America have been opposed to this idea until recently when Moncef Slaoui, scientific adviser of Operation Warp Speed, supported an alternative, that is to give some Americans two half-doses of the Moderna vaccine (a full dose contains 100 micrograms of the active ingredient), as a way to get more immunity from the limited vaccine supply; he stated that in trials, those who received two half-doses produced an “identical immune response to the 100 microgram dose”. This debate has arisen from the fact that the number of Americans who received first doses was incredibly below what the administration hoped for by the end of 2020, and is even more difficult when health measures are carried into politics and many are hesitant to take the vaccine. The vaccines authorized in the US, by companies Pfizer and Moderna, are intended to be delivered in multiple doses on a strict schedule; the first shot allows the immune system to recognize a new pathogen by showing it a harmless version of the virus’s significant features. After the body has time to study these features, the second shot shows them again and helps immune cells commit it to memory and the subsequent dose should increase the potency and durability of immunity. Nonetheless, some protection is provided after the first shot, but experts are unsure how quickly it would fade; some now argue that spreading vaccines thinly across the population would save more lives than half as many individuals receiving both doses on schedule. Steven Danehy, a spokesman for Pfizer, poses an opposition; “Although partial protection from the vaccine appears to begin as early as 12 days after the first dose, two doses of the vaccine are required to provide the maximum protection against the disease, a vaccine efficacy of 95 percent”. 

The topic of this article has a great impact on society because experts are ultimately looking for solutions to the urgent need for more doses for Covid-19, however, no one is settled on the best way to achieve it. Whatever is deemed to be the greatest alternative will also continue to affect our nation depending on how long it will take for things to go back to (relatively) normal and how many more deaths will occur. Furthermore, coming up with a solution for the number of doses will not solve other problems and logistical issues, against the backdrop of a weary health care system and skepticism around vaccines. Ultimately, with a disappointingly slow vaccine rollout in the United States and concerns about a new and fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus, a strategy like delaying second doses is one worth exploring.

“As Rollout Falters, Scientists Debate New Vaccination Tactics” is an incredibly well-written article. It provides many expert opinions which allow the reader to gain a robust understanding of the issue at hand; it also presents both sides of the debate and it is explained in terms of the science behind the vaccine, the behavior of society, and the statistics of the trials recorded. The information is also presented in a way that makes it easy for the audience to follow along. However, there are some improvements that can be made; for instance, although some of the actions that British officials are taking in terms of vaccination tactics are included, it could be beneficial to include some other things of what other countries that have developed a vaccine are doing as well. Ultimately, this was a well-written article, and its topic proves to be highly relevant, especially to our world today.