Why It’s Hard to Make Vaccines: Explained.
With the high demand for the COVID-19 vaccine, its rollout has undergone massive delays around the globe.
Here are some reasons why vaccine production has taken longer than expected.
Creating large amounts of mRNA takes time, University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Drew Weissman says, “prior to this, nobody made a billion doses ... or even a million doses of mRNA.” .
Production can’t begin without raw materials, If even one item is missing, production has to be delayed “and that capacity will be lost forever,” says Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel.
Batches sometimes fall short, Working with biological ingredients leaves room for variability and can result in fewer doses than expected.
Quality assurance takes time, Every vaccine is produced under strict rules, including inspections and testing throughout the process, which may cause delays
