While most people welcomed the news last week that Pfizer had developed a vaccine that was over 90 per cent effective, others saw it as a very personal vindication.
In particular, allies of the head of the UK’s vaccine taskforce, Kate Bingham, suggested that her decision to buy 40 million doses for the UK was a masterstroke that proved her doubters wrong. Bingham had previously been under fire for spending £670,000 on PR consultants at the taxpayers’ expense.
On the day of Pfizer’s announcement, Bingham’s husband Jesse Norman (who also happens to be Financial Secretary to the Treasury) alone seemed to spend hours online extolling the virtues of his partner and suggested that despite reports to the contrary, this proved she was qualified to lead the UK’s vaccine procurement efforts.
Bingham’s decision has certainly put the UK in good stead when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine – although countries such as the US and Japan acquired more doses of the shot. But Mr S notes that Bingham’s allies are much quieter today, after Moderna announced that it had developed its own vaccine with an even higher efficacy rate than the Pfizer shot. Even more significantly, the Moderna vaccine should be much easier to transport than Pfizer’s, as it does not have to be kept at minus 70 Celsius, and can be stored for several days in normal fridges.
It is rather unfortunate then that Bingham has failed to buy a single dose of Moderna’s vaccine in advance. By comparison, both the United States and the EU have managed to get hold of 180 million doses already between them, and Japan has 50 million shots:
It could be, of course, that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine – which the UK has ordered 100 million doses of – will also be a success and Bingham was right to hold off on ordering other potential vaccines. But after Moderna’s breakthrough today, we better hope that Bingham’s gamble pays off…
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