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I can just about see where the drip view that AZ BAD PFIZER GOOD comes from. To draw a distinction between the two equally effective mRNA vaccines, and say we should focus on the one that's struggling to achieve production, is so odd that you have to start suspecting corruption. https://twitter.com/BreakfastNews/status/1381726454988238851
There's a really interesting story about capitalism to be told from the different vaccine development stories, but it doesn't really fit left- or right-wing narratives so hasn't been told. Of the three major vaccines (I'm ignoring J&J because it's a me-too product tha only got>
>significant take-up because the US was weird about approving AZ), you have one made by a stereotypical Huge Capitalist Corporation, one made by a stereotypical Massive Hype Startup, and one made by a sterotypical European Government/Industry Partnership.
Of those, the Corporation (Pfizer) costs a fortune, works extremely well, is being rolled out with tremendous success, will make them an absolute fortune - and 75% of the world can't afford it unless it's subsidised by western aid donors.
The Startup one (Moderna) also costs a fortune, and appears to work about as well as the Corporation one. Its execs go on TV to overhype it with borderline-legal claims for things it hasn't been approved for, and they're struggling to meet production targets. The media love it.
And finally, the government/industry partnership one (AZ/Oxford) works almost but not quite as well, has struggled to meet production targets, is staggeringly cheap and accessible to everyone in the world, and the media ABSOLUTELY HATE it.
