The Western States workgroup – made up of vaccine experts from Washington, California, Oregon, and Nevada – confirmed that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is safe and efficacious. Unlike the Pfizer vaccine which requires storage at – 70°C, Moderna’s vaccine can be stored at –20°C.
Both vaccines are made from synthetic mRNA, and are unlike any other vaccines on the market.
“Past vaccines imitate infections—often using an altered, harmless form of the deadly virus that causes the T-lymphocytes – a kind of white blood cell – to create antibodies to fight it.” explains Dr. Rad Moeller, a rheumatologist working with CarolinaEast Internal Medicine in Havelock, NC speaking with the Sun Journal. “mRNA can most easily be described as instructions for the cell on how to make a piece of the ‘spike protein’ that is unique to SARS-CoV-2. Since only part of the protein is made, it does not do any harm to the person vaccinated but it is antigenic.”
At Sunday’s press release Governor Kate Brown indicated that the approval of this vaccine allows “the ability to reach communities across rural Oregon and the West that don’t have easy access to cold storage.”
Brown, hopeful now with the second vaccine approval, noted that “we also need accurate information from our federal partners about vaccine distribution.”
The state expects more than 100,000 Oregonians will be vaccinated with the first shot of two shots by the end of the month. The recipients will consist mostly of health care workers.
The Western States workgroup stated it will be evaluating new vaccines as they come through the federal approval process.
For more information on the Moderna vaccine, please see this paper.
By Joanna Rosińska
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