Student News Site of Silverado High School

Chapter 5: Challenges to overcome, comparison of vaccines

March 13, 2021

Once challenge to getting the population vaccinated involves logistics. The issue with vaccines is the specific conditions that must be met to administer vaccines. 

“Vaccine allocation and ordering  is done one week at a time,” Lynch said. “Also, each dose needs to be reported and accounted for in multiple data reporting formats.” 

This makes the process highly complicated. No detail can be overlooked because, not only must these conditions be met to administer the vaccine, but there is a very limited supply of vaccines to administer.

Some teachers did have a delayed second vaccine due to a storm that hit the east coast, preventing shipments from arriving on time.

“I hoped to have my second vaccine on Feb. 20, right before we came back to administer the ACT exam on campus. Then my appointment was cancelled because of the storm,” said English teacher Regina Roybal. “But they rescheduled me just a few days later, so I did get it within the time frame for it to be fully effective.”

The conditions that vaccines require are also specific to individual COVID-19 vaccines. 

“Here is the difference between the vaccines at this time,” Ryan explained. “Pfizer is the most difficult to distribute-it must be kept super cold, and there are very specific directions on how to get it out to the population, and it requires a follow up shot after 21 days (up to 4 weeks) later. 

“Moderna isn’t kept at a temperature as low as Pfizer, but still very controlled,” Ryan continued.  “You can get the second dose of Moderna 28 days after the first dose, and again up to 4 weeks later.  The temperature control needed for these two vaccines make it difficult to get it out to places that don’t have the ability to control the temperature, or use the vaccine in a timely manner. Also, with the two dose vaccines, you have to hope that the individual will, or can, come back for the second dose.  The Johnson and Johnson vaccine makes it somewhat easier to use because it is one dose, and there aren’t the temperature controls needed.”

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