Explained: Why Pfizer Vaccine May Not Work in India

While Pfizer raised hopes with its Covid vaccine’s efficacy, India isn’t likely to roll out the vaccine that has been given a green signal. About 100 drug development teams worldwide are racing to develop coronavirus vaccines, with the hope of distributing them globally on a scale never before witnessed. Amid this, Pfizer Inc said that their trials showed more than 90% efficacy for the vaccine. While this is reason to cheer, there is also the fact that it needs to be stored at sub-zero temperatures — a logistical nightmare for India with few ultra-cold freezers, patchy power and a largely rural population. The new two-shot vaccine from Pfizer has to be maintained at minus 80°C — nowhere on the planet does the logistical capacity exist to distribute vaccines at this temperature. Watch the video to know what are the other shortcomings.