Is a Vaccine Coming Soon? What You Need to Know

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You have likely read that Pfizer, a drug company also producing vaccines, has announced that early analysis of its coronavirus vaccine trial suggests its vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing the disease. The study was of the 44,000 person trial (half of whom received two doses of the vaccine and half a placebo). According to the New York Times article, after it has collected the recommended two months of safety data, Pfizer will be asking the FDA for emergency authorization of the two-dose vaccine later this month. By the end of the year, the company said it will have manufactured enough doses to immunize 15 to 20 million people.

 

What does this mean for the food industry?

This news is excellent news, especially since a 90% efficacy rate is on par with highly effective childhood vaccines for diseases such as measles. However, this news does not mean that the vaccine will be available in the short-term. The company still needs to complete the trial, after which the vaccine will still need to be approved by the FDA. All of this can take several months.

 

Even at that point, the food industry will not be the first to receive the vaccine; however, as a critical infrastructure industry, it likely will not be the last. First responders and health care workers are likely to be the first to receive the vaccine before it is made available to other critical industries. Unfortunately, even as the vaccine is disseminated by priority groups, the 15-20 million doses that Pfizer expects to produce by the end of the year will not go too far with the 7.8 billion people in the world.

 

So, as cases continue to increase across the U.S. – with more than 100,000 cases logged at least three times last week and the approaching holidays likely to further that increase – it is critical that businesses continue all the protections and preventive measures already implemented, continue testing, and continue reinforcing COVID-19 preventive messaging with employees.

 

Additionally, if you have or expect to be using temporary workers, TAG advises that you initiate a conversation with your staffing agency once a vaccine is available. You should let your staffing agencies know that you will want only workers who have received the vaccine to work. This will require some new thinking and management strategies, so thinking ahead and working through the needed steps will be highly beneficial in the long run.

 

If you have any questions or need any assistance on protections, testing, or vaccine preparation, give TAG a call.