COVID-19 vaccine stopped production, where can we fight？ Is it necessary to vaccinate？

Source: Thumb worm

On January 10th, Kexing COVID-19 vaccine was exposed and stopped production, which caused a heated discussion. On January 11th, clover biology also indicated that the demand for vaccines based on COVID-19 is relatively low at home and abroad, and the resource input for COVID-19 business will be adjusted according to market changes.

The First Financial Reporter learned from some community health service centers in Shanghai that COVID-19 vaccine can still be vaccinated at present, but the demand for COVID-19 vaccine has really decreased recently.

The First Financial Reporter then inquired about Shanghai Health Cloud’s appointment for vaccination in COVID-19, and found that Beijing Kexing COVID-19 vaccine is still available in most community health service centers and vaccination sites. Other vaccines also include products of many companies, such as Chengdu Wesker, Shenzhou Cell, Unacon, Zhifeilong Koma, Livzon Bio, Kangxinuo (inhalation), Kangxinuo (injection), Beijing Bio, Wuhan Bio and Shenzhen Kangtai.

According to the analysis of some insiders, there are now more than a dozen COVID-19 vaccine products on the market, and the market may enter the stage of "destocking". Closing some production lines is also a measure to adjust the relationship between supply and demand. "The supply of vaccines is certainly guaranteed, as long as new COVID-19 mutants continue to appear." A related person told the First Financial Reporter.

On the other hand, because there are many choices of vaccines in COVID-19 at present, vaccines against new Covid-19 mutants and COVID-19 vaccines with new technical routes may be more popular.

Regarding whether COVID-19 vaccine should be vaccinated, Wei Yuquan, academician of China Academy of Sciences, director of the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy in west china hospital and director of the Cancer Center, said in an interview with the media that the relevant state departments are vigorously promoting the listing of XBB COVID-19 vaccine.

Before New Year’s Day in 2024, the National Bureau for Disease Control and Prevention issued a notice clearly stressing that all localities should vigorously promote the vaccination of Covid-19 vaccine containing XBB mutant antigen, and guide severe and high-risk people to actively vaccinate. It is necessary to standardize vaccination and ensure vaccination safety. Comprehensively improve the accessibility of vaccination services during holidays, so as to facilitate the people to vaccinate nearby.

In June, 2023, the recombinant trivalent Covid-19 trimer protein vaccine from Chengdu Wesker was put into emergency use in some areas. The inoculation amount of westcott vaccine has not been officially disclosed, but according to the internal understanding of the company by the First Financial Reporter, the vaccination has reached hundreds of thousands of doses.

According to the first financial reporter, the vaccination amount of the vaccine is not large. Wei Yuquan said that at present, the new XBB COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge, and it is available for disease control in all parts of the country. People who need to be vaccinated can consult the nearest CDC or vaccination clinic for vaccination arrangements.

The decreasing demand for vaccines in COVID-19 has become a global trend. American vaccine manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer, and their German partner BioNTech, both lowered their revenue expectations due to the declining demand for vaccines in COVID-19. BioNTech predicts that the revenue in 2024 will be about 3 billion euros, lower than the 4 billion to 5 billion euros in 2023; Moderna’s vaccine sales in COVID-19 dropped by two-thirds year-on-year in 2023, but it still reached $6.7 billion. COVID-19 vaccine is the only profitable product of BioNTech and Moderna.

The First Financial Reporter learned that Moderna is also considering introducing COVID-19 vaccine against XBB mutant into China production base, but the demand for COVID-19 vaccine in China is a major concern of the company.

However, experts stressed that Covid-19 has not disappeared, and it is still mutating, and the best way to protect vulnerable people is still vaccination. On January 10th, COVID-19 infection data released by CDC website showed that in December, 2023, there were 88 severe cases and 11 deaths in COVID-19.

Globally, according to the data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, JN.1 mutant has accounted for about 62% of the total number of COVID-19 infections in the United States and has become the mainstream. The current level of Covid-19 infection in the United States has reached the second highest level since the outbreak of COVID-19.

On January 10th, WHO Director-General Tan Desai said that compared with November 2023, the number of hospitalized patients infected with Covid-19 increased by 42% in December, and the number of patients receiving intensive care increased by 62%. Although the COVID-19 epidemic no longer constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern", Covid-19 is still spreading, mutating and taking lives.

"The epidemic level in China is low, but it is affected by international epidemic strains and imported cases in the future. It is not excluded that JN.1 mutant will become the dominant epidemic strain in China." Peng Zhibin, director of the Respiratory Infectious Diseases Department of Infectious Diseases Management Office of China CDC, said at the previous press conference.