Articles

Programs & Initiatives

Shot of a Lifetime: How Two Pfizer Manufacturing Plants Upscaled to Produce the COVID-19 Vaccine in Record Time

After Pfizer and BioNtech signed a letter of intent in March 2020 to work together on a vaccine, two Pfizer facilities were swiftly selected for developing the processes and manufacturing the product at an industrial scale. Located in Puurs, Belgium, and Kalamazoo, Michigan, both plants had the space, the know-how, the people, and the equipment to get to work right away. Their locations in the U.S. and Europe positioned them well for global distribution.But even with all the right components...

Science & Innovation

Retrospect and Context: One Scientist's Thoughts on Comparing COVID-19 to the 1918 Flu Pandemic

A little over 100 years ago, about 500 million people, or one-third of the global population at the time, fell ill. At least 50 million died, with 675,000 deaths occurring in the U.S.1Today, the COVID-19 pandemic is frequently compared with the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. The destruction caused by that pandemic a century ago may sound familiar. Yet, direct comparisons of the 1918 flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic may not be completely fair, according to one scientist.While we’ve had a...

Programs & Initiatives

Shot of a Lifetime: How Pfizer Developed its Own Raw Materials to Ensure a Steady Supply for the COVID-19 Vaccine

It was December 15, 2020 when Melissa French got the message: Pfizer needed large quantities of something called a cationic lipid that was critical to the COVID-19 vaccine. “This isn’t an everyday lipid that's readily available,” says French, who is a Project Manager with Pfizer Global Supply, and handles lipid production at a facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was being asked to lead a team in producing large amounts of this important raw material.The call wasn’t a complete surprise. A number...

Programs & Initiatives

Shot of a Lifetime: How Pfizer is Partnering with CMOs to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Production and Reach More People

On a Sunday afternoon in May of 2020, Amy Genest’s phone rang. She recognized the number immediately and excused herself from her young daughters and her husband to take the work call. On the line, a colleague at Pfizer told her she needed help in securing contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) to assist with vaccine production, when—and if—Pfizer and BioNTech were authorized to manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine.That task was nothing new for Genest, who at the time served as New Products Lead...

Programs & Initiatives

Shot of a Lifetime: How Pfizer and BioNTech Developed and Manufactured a COVID-19 Vaccine in Record Time

On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.1 Just six days later, on March 17, Pfizer signed a letter of intent with BioNTech to co-develop a potential COVID-19 vaccine.2 In those early days, it was unclear how this new virus was transmitted, or how long it would last. But as deaths around the world mounted and life as we knew it drastically changed, one thing became apparent: the virus was spreading rapidly, and the race for a vaccine was underway.3BioNTech, a...

Living & Wellbeing

The Truth About COVID-19 and Black Fungus

The novel coronavirus has recently been linked to two serious fungal infections: COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) and COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM).1 The resurgence of these rare fungal infections has medical personnel concerned. A 2021 study found that more than 47,000 cases of CAM were reported in just three months in India. And with the Delta variant spreading worldwide, reports suggest that the number of cases is likely much higher.2 Aspergillosis and...

Advances in Cytomegalovirus Vaccine Development

While it may not be a household name, cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the herpes virus family, is incredibly common—many people acquire it as toddlers or adolescents, and a majority are infected by adulthood.1 In most people, CMV is harmless and causes no or few symptoms.2 However, it can pose a danger to babies infected in the womb along with immunocompromised adults.2 Roughly one out of every 200 babies are born with congenital CMV each year in the U.S., and 20 percent of those will...

Real People

Meet Dacia Young, a Senior Scientist within the Vaccine Research and Development Group at Pfizer

Meet Dacia Young, a Senior Scientist within the Vaccine Research and Development Group at Pfizer. Dacia has worked as a Scientist at Pfizer for more than 14 years, leading the assay development for our meningococcal disease vaccines since 2013. As a scientist working on vaccines in the middle of a pandemic, Dacia understands firsthand the tangible impact vaccines can have on public health. Now she’s discussing why she finds developing vaccines so rewarding, and explaining why she believes...

Adolescence – A Time for Vaccinations

Adolescent Health Concerns For many people in the U.S., adolescence is one of the healthiest times of life. Most parents hope to keep it that way for their young children and teenagers as they progress to young adulthood. The World Health Organization widely defines adolescence as a period of time that begins at the start of puberty and ends when an adult identity and behavior are accepted. Though the timing and extent of these changes may vary among young people, they usually happen from the...

Managing Your Mental Health During a Pandemic

The World Health Organization recently declared a pandemic in the wake of a global outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). And while the majority of people affected by the disease will recover without any long-lasting consequences, there are many others who will suffer the short-term and long-term health effects of stress, anxiety and other mental health complications. We all respond differently to stress and anxiety. Our response is often based on our family upbringing...

Get the Facts About Vaccinations

To listen to a podcast on the story of the first vaccine, click here: https://www.pfizer.com/news/features/podcasts/the-antigen Vaccinations are recommended by doctors and scientists because of their proven benefits. Specifically, for children receiving them, vaccinations have been shown to prevent about 20 million illnesses and more than 40,000 deaths at a savings of $70 billion. Despite the evidence supporting the benefits of vaccines, a number of myths surround their use. Belief in these...

Create an Adult Vaccinations Checklist

Download the Adult Vaccinations Checklist Use this tool to help start a conversation with your healthcare provider about adult vaccinations. Many adults are behind on their vaccinations. Are you staying up-to-date? It’s important that you speak with your doctor or healthcare provider about the benefits of the vaccinations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To learn more about which vaccinations are right for you and how often you should receive them, use this...