The hunt for the coronavirus vaccine has been a worldwide topic for everyone. Doctors and experts from the field faced one of their greatest trials, and that's how to end this pandemic quickly. People thought that once hospitals find the vaccine, that's the end of it. Unfortunately, it's not. It turns out that one of the vital equipment needed to distribute the drug faces a huge shortage issue.
COVID-19 vaccine isn't just the last problem
Let's say we have the drug. How in the world will it reach billions of people around the planet? The answer: glass vials.
But since almost every country has Coronavirus cases, experts are now thinking about one of the biggest problems they could think of. How about we run out of glass for the drug vials? And sad to say, as early as now, manufacturers are already reporting shortages for this product.
ABC News reported this week that drugmakers around the world are racing to purchase glasses for glass vials after companies said that there had been major shortages with the product since the pandemic started.
BIO Vice President of Infectious Diseases Phyllis Arthur said that the glass market is a relatively fixed and slow-growing business. This means that a pandemic that needed billions of glasses in a short period won't likely work and will usually take time.
Currently, 11 hospitals and companies are leading the hunt for the best, safest, and effective COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. That's a lot of glass vials already used in America.
"That is an extraordinary surge in demand for that product, that specific piece of material," Arthur said.
"America needs two years to produce enough vials"
Dr. Rick Bright, the former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, explained that the shortage could lead to horrible things in the future.
First, Coronavirus tests are unlikely to be a one-take test. This means that patients may go under several shots before guaranteeing their safety from acquiring the virus.
That also means that America needs an additional two years, just for manufacturers to produce enough glass vials for citizens.
Here's good news though
The United States government and several huge glass-producers were already talking about a faster way to produce this vital glass product before the official vaccine comes.
"There's definitely a role for us to be talking about post-pandemic how we can make supply chains more resilient, reduce dependencies on particular countries, but right now we need to make sure these supply chains are open and working effectively," Genentech CEO Alexander Hardy said Tuesday.
For now, let's take small steps towards ending the pandemic.
