Comirnaty, Spikevax and the Weird World of COVID-19 Vaccine Brand



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With official approval from the Food and Drug Administration, the Pfizer / BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine can now be marketed as Comirnaty in the United States, great news for general vaccine acceptance, of course, but also for anyone who likes to focus on weird drug names.

Comirnaty is apparently meant to be a coat rack of several words – community, immunity, COVID-19 and mRNA – Fierce pharma writing. The brand was produced for Pfizer-BioNTech by the Brand Institute – “The World’s First Naming Company” – and while it isn’t exactly out of the mouth, it’s at least shorter than most drug names.

On the other hand, it’s not as metallic as Spikevax, the European vaccine brand Moderna and another Brand Institute project. Spikevax refers directly to the spiky structure of COVID-19 and the word vaccines (having “vax” in the name is big, I read). This could mark a pretty badass second wind for American Moderna fans who have lived in the shadow of the “hot-person vaccine” once it is approved by the FDA. Vaxzevria, the brand name of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe, is a bit more inexplicable. I really have nothing to say about it other than their good for putting some steam in there and immediately calling Dr Doom back every time I read the name quickly.

The names are awkward, but the absurdity is emphasized because, other than in our dark era of a pandemic, when would anyone notice a vaccine’s brand name? We’re at the perfect intersection of having enough time to occupy, enough fear to obsess, and enough nihilism to laugh. Remember next year when the new brands of flu shots drop. Afluria 2 will need your attention.

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