The No. 1 thing we should be thankful for this holiday season is the speedy delivery of an effective COVID-19 vaccine.
The proverbial and actual shot in our arms comes courtesy of Operation Warp Speed, the most remarkable and effective private-public partnership the nation has seen since World War II.
John Balentine, a former managing editor for the Lakes Region Weekly, lives in Windham.
The scientists at Pfizer, which didn’t take any government money for development of their vaccine but will receive public funding for distribution of it, saw their historic vaccine approved for distribution to the American public last weekend.
The miracle drug is a booster shot to the nation’s sagging spirit just before Christmas. It’s a victory over a contagion that has decimated the economy, imperiled the weak and elderly and made life generally miserable for everyone else.
To appreciate the present reality, we must revisit the not-so-distant past.
We remember the pundits and so-called scientific experts back in March saying a cure for COVID-19, a new coronavirus strain, may never happen because coronaviruses, including the common cold virus, are famously difficult to cure. But here we are mere months later with a vaccine. It truly is amazing.
God is good. His gift to us this Christmas 2020 is made possible by the brilliant scientists at America’s leading pharmaceutical companies. We complain about how expensive drugs are, but if they allow these companies to exist and perform research and development that restores the entire world’s health and sanity, it’s worth it.
And the money the government has poured into the war against COVID-19 is also worth every penny.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, about $10 billion has gone into Operation Warp Speed so far.
The government has spent big bucks on the development of possible vaccines with companies such as Moderna ($2.5 billion), Novavax ($1.6 billion), Johnson & Johnson ($1.5 billion) and partnerships between AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford ($1.2 billion) as well as Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline ($2 billion).
While companies pursuing vaccines have received the bulk of the funding, the government has sponsored research into anti-viral therapeutic treatments as well, allowing many, including President Trump, to fight off the virus. Regeneron has received $450 million, with Eli Lilly receiving $375 million so far.
As vaccines are created, the government also will cover distribution costs. Pfizer is receiving $2 billion from the U.S. government to distribute its vaccine, which requires very cold temperatures up until three hours before injection.
Other distribution-related expenditures include $138 million to ApiJect for pre-filled syringes, $204 million to Corning for glass vials, and $143 million to SiO2 Materials Science for glass-coated plastic containers. Another $1 billion will go to various other companies for manufacturing purposes.
Administration of the vaccines is costly, as well. CVS and Walgreens have partnered with the government to administer injections at long-term care facilities. These two behemoth pharmacy chains, along with dozens of other pharmacy chains representing 60% of the nation’s pharmacy network, will also be used as injection sites, ensuring the vaccines are administered even in rural settings. McKesson Corp. will oversee distribution of vaccines and related supplies to the administration sites.
The appropriately termed Operation Warp Speed, overseen by DHHS Secretary Alex Azar and made possible by the never-say-die spirit and removal of bureaucratic red tape by none other than President Trump – who persisted despite endless criticism, mockery and the sowing of doubt by the mainstream media and Democrats throughout this process – is truly an American success story and one of the best Christmas gifts ever given.
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