They are considering the same strategy in Belgium, but with even bigger gap. It seems that it’s the only way to achieve at least some herd immunity before summer.
I think the only reason they're considering this in Belgium right now is because they are unprepared in the extreme. They have frankly pissed away their time instead of actually preparing for the vaccine, the past nine months.
The current vaccination rollout plan leaves healthcare workers unvaccinated until march. HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/belgium-all-news/147133/c...
There's been some pretty severe backlash to that, and rightfully so (I don't know of any other country that isn't vaccinating its health workers in the very first phase alongside senior citizens). I ran some numbers the other day and if you're distributing the vaccines exclusively via the 40-ish Belgian hospitals that can store the Pfizer one (and only 6 in Brussels), then there is no way to achieve herd immunity before end of 2020. The only real solution to that is to allow for more widespread distribution via pharmacies. (Yes, medium-term storage is an issue, but AIUI the Pfizer vaccines can still move around after thawing for some time so short term redistribution is possible if you've prepared for it).
So they're trying whatever they can to compress the timeline. It's not necessarily a bad decision, but it's a workaround to a worse one.
Also I’ve read that “Belgium accounts for 25% of Europe’s biotech”. I wonder why there’s no domestic vaccine yet given such R&D capacity.
It looks really promising, but investigation is required.
(And, better outcomes overall, too)
Not sure how all of that wound up, but:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/yellow-fever/mediacentre/qa-...
edit: For clarity, there wasn't an outbreak in Canada, but just shortages if you wanted to travel, and needed the vaccine.
I had the yellow fever vaccine last year in America. I received an, otherwise identical, Europe-manufactured vaccine instead of an American one because the shortage is on-going.
Your response made me think back to my research a few years back. Mostly, because I am surprised that there are STILL shortages! For more than half a decade?!
Found this:
https://www.ashp.org/Drug-Shortages/Current-Shortages/Drug-S...
Quote:
Sanofi Pasteur has YF-Vax multi-dose vials and single dose vials on back order and the company estimates product will be available in 2021.[1]
Sanofi Pasteur has worked with FDA to make another vaccine, Stamaril, available in the US under an investigational new drug program. Stamaril is yellow fever vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur in France. It is not licensed in the US.
This, I recall. I also recall some more research, which I cannot find now, in that there were different production methods between the two vaccines. Hence, the lack of quick approval. Yet Yellow Fever is crazy spreadable! And still the vaccine is not fully approved in the US/Canada?!
I recall reading a report, where one person with yellow fever was briefly in an airport lounge. 20 minutes later, a few people passed through, and most caught it! Just... it makes COVID look like a joke, yet here governments are dragging their heels over approvals due to production methods over the same strains?
And those production methods / that company has been making and administering that version for decades? To hundreds of millions?
It really makes you think a bit about COVID approvals. Talk about a change of heart.