December 2020 Interlude Meeting

This two-week interlude between Thanksgiving and Winter Break can be an odd time of year. With the global pandemic, this effect is only exacerbated. Much has happened in the world since we last met. Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine was approved and the first doses have already been administered in England. Moderna is not too far behind. This week, ABC addressed the COVID-19 vaccine, the priority groups, the strained supply chain, and the ethics of distribution.

We focused our discussion on the supply chain, in particular, distribution via aircraft. With sluggish business trips and vacations, fewer passenger planes are flying to remote and/or otherwise hard to reach places. Supplies and necessities like vaccines usually reach those remote corners of the world via the bellies of passenger planes. Therefore, with fewer flights across the board, it will be harder to deliver the vaccine around the world, particularly to small islands or countries with underdeveloped infrastructure. On the other hand, dry ice and glass vial manufacturers are also struggling to keep up with demand. 

ABC also addressed the ethics of the vaccine. What responsibilities do rich countries have in ensuring the accessibility of the vaccine globally? We agreed that the vaccine a country receives, AstraZeneca's, Pfizer's, or Moderna's, will likely have to do with supply chains at the ground level in an individual country. Countries that cannot afford to distribute vaccine doses across the country at super cold temperatures may benefit from receiving AstraZeneca's vaccine, which is more durable in higher temps.

Thank you to those who joined us this week! ABC Board applications will be released after Winter Break and will be due after a week. We encourage everyone to apply.  Email along21@andover.edu or nbuehler21@andover.edu with questions. See you after the break! Happy holidays.