Coronavirus vaccines: how many are there and which will arrive in Argentina

Worldwide, 320 vaccines are under development and under study. None are from Argentina, which has announced a vaccination plan where there is so far uncertainty. The National Administration of Drugs, Foods and Medical Technologies (ANMAT) assesses documentation submitted by pharmaceutical companies BioNTech / Pfizer, Janssen and AstraZeneca for their vaccinations and only Russia requested emergency pre-approval for the Sputnik V, developed in Moscow.

Currently and in general, four types of vaccines are used. The live vaccine Attenuated is the one that carries the weakened virus, with the advantage that it can last a lifetime, with one or two bites. These types of preparations are used to treat measles, mumps, rubella or chickenpox.

Its opposite version is inactivated vaccine, which uses the dead version of the germ responsible for the disease. These do not have such a strong and long lasting response, so several doses are needed to gain immunity. One of the clearest examples is the flu shot.

// https://tn.com.ar/salud/2020/12/21/coronavirus-respuestas-para-las-principales-dudas-sobre-las-vacunas-contra-el-covid-19/

The third type of vaccine that exists is subunits, recombinant, polysaccharides and combined. It carries a specific part of the virus, such as its protein, sugar, or capsule, which acts on key parts of the germ. Its limitation is that booster vaccines are likely to be needed to achieve broad protection. Hepatitis B and human papillomavirus are cured with these types of vaccines.

Finally, there are those of toxoids, which collect the harmful product made by the disease-causing germ to create immunity in the parts of the virus that cause the disease. Diphtheria and tetanus require this vaccine.

The most advanced vaccines

Sputnik V

President Alberto Fernandez, 61, announced that he would be the first to give it to her “because he has no doubts about its quality”. But last week this was called into question, when the Russian president Vladimir Poutine, 68, said he’d rather wait for more scientific approval of the formula’s effects in people over 60.

Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko estimated that next week’s vaccination would begin in this at-risk population, because the efficacy studies will be completed. Russia’s official information on its vaccine is considered partial by sectors of the scientific community.

On the commercial front, the CEO of the sovereign wealth fund which promoted the development of the Russian vaccine also assured that this preparation “will maintain a high effectiveness against the new strain of coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom”.

Carla Vizzotti, The secretary for access to health explained that Argentina “is to receive 10 million treatments of the Sputnik V vaccine between the rest of this year, and January and February 2021” and specified that “in this first shipment, he there are 300,000 doses ”And this work is done“ so that they arrive as soon as possible ”.

BNT162 (Pfizer and BioNTech)

It uses technology known as RNA: it is genetic engineering to generate an immune response in the body by introducing into the body the information needed to make the viral protein that causes infection in human cells.

If the data published at the end of the trial in a scientific journal is consistent, it will represent a paradigm shift in science, because it would be the first genetic vaccine in history.

The biggest drawback is the need to keep dosages at a temperature below -70 ° C to prevent the substance from losing its effect. This can become a major obstacle in remote or very hot areas.

Will he arrive in Argentina? There is more ups and downs than certainties. From the Pfizer lab, they said “conversations are continuing” with the national government to ensure the doses arrive in Argentina, but did not provide further details. There have been official announcements about the imminent arrival of this vaccine, but they have not been held so far.

In addition, Argentinian volunteers collaborated on the clinical trial, the results of which are now being used by other countries.

MRNA-1273 (modern)

This vaccine is also part of the group of RNA-based vaccines. Moderna’s recent announcement was based on 95 clinical trial participants diagnosed with COVID-19. Suggested a 94% efficiency rate.

Today, the distribution of this vaccine has started in the United States. Unlike the Russian, he has a survey published in The New England Journal of Medicine that weighs safety and immunogenicity in people over 60 years of age.

When a government does not negotiate for it, it can be accessed through agreements managed by the World Health Organization. For the moment, it’s not planned specifically in Argentina.

AZD1222 (University of Oxford and AstraZeneca)

The scientific journal endorsed the results previously presented by the British university. He pointed out that the vaccine is on average 70% effective when two doses are applied, but reaches 90% when a half dose is given followed by a full dose a month later.

Argentinian businessman Hugo Sigman assured Argentina would at least produce 150 million doses of the vaccine. MAbxience, will be in charge of manufacturing the active ingredient (raw material) of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Once completed, the product will be delivered to AstraZeneca, which will send it to Mexico, where the laboratory Liomont will take care of dividing and conditioning it.

“From there, AstraZeneca will distribute the vaccine fairly in Latin America (with the exception of Brazil, which has a separate agreement). The committed price is 4 dollars, significantly less than vaccines from other companies, ”said Sigman.

The laboratory confirmed that plans to deliver over 22 million doses to the country of the potential vaccine, which will begin to be distributed in the first half of 2021.

CoronaVac (Sinovac)

After the suspension of clinical trials in Brazil due to the death of a volunteer, it was clarified that the death had nothing to do with the vaccine and the study resumed normally.

Sinovac is a vaccine inactivated, which works by using dead virus particles to expose the immune system to the COVID-19 virus without the risk of serious illness.

One of the main advantages of the Sinovac vaccine is that it can be stored in a standard refrigerator at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, just like the Oxford vaccine.

From Cordoba, they are negotiating to buy their own batch of vaccines. In the greatest secrecy, provincial officials, as well as the main health authorities, maintain contacts with the main international production laboratories.

JNJ-78436735 (Johnson and Johnson)

Based on the technology of the non-replicating viral vector (the same used by the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca and Sputnik V), Peru, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia had offered to participate in the trial, with the hope Stop preferential access to the vaccine.

The drugmaker expects a first analysis of the data in late January. If the test is successful, the company plans to seek clearance in the United States in February.

Ad5-nCoV (CanSino)

Fundación Hupedes announced the launch in Argentina of a new phase 3 study of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, which will be carried out in 11 health centers in the metropolitan area of ​​Buenos Aires (AMBA) and Mar del Plata.

The vaccine was developed by the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, CanSino Biologics Inc, of China.

The development of CanSino Bio is a vector vaccine that uses an adenovirus 5, which is a human adenovirus. In vector vaccines it is used chimpanzee adenovirus, as is the case with the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford. The Russians use adenovirus 25, and in the second dose, adenovirus 5.

“The adenovirus is a defective virus because the part that can cause the disease is removed and genetic material is introduced for the body to generate antibodies”, describes Eduardo López, infectologist, presidential adviser during the coronavirus pandemic and member of the Socolinsky Foundation.