MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Lockdowns, shopping restrictions, masks mandates and sports cancellations -- the pandemic has forced us to change nearly every aspect of our lives for the past four months.
Experts believe the only way to get back to normal is with a safe vaccine and North Carolina and the City of Charlotte could be key in making it happen.
President Donald Trump visited North Carolina Monday to tour the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies’ Innovation Center in Morrisville, a suburb of Raleigh. The White House said the company is manufacturing key components of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Novavax, an American vaccine development company based in Maryland.
“I think anytime the president comes to your site to see the work you are doing. you have to take the excitement and honor that is and that’s how it felt today,” said Martin Meeson, the facility’s CEO.
Novavax has been awarded $1.6 billion from the federal government to participate in Operation Warp Speed, a U.S. government program that seeks to begin delivering at least 100 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 next year.
Government reporter Joe Bruno spoke with Meeson Monday.
“What is your company doing to help this vaccine get produced by Novavax?” Bruno asked.
Meeson said its part is, “manufacturing the key component,” and it is “doing it here in Carolina.”
“How are things different with COVID-19?” Bruno asked.
“Things are created in compressed time,” Meeson said. “Normally it takes years. We are trying to squash that into just a few months and get this vaccine out into the dosing as quickly as we can.”
“How does Operation Warp Speed help contribute?” Bruno asked.
“They are layering steps on top of each other now. We are laying doses now that you wouldn’t normally lay down. What they are doing is laying down lots and lots of doses which will allow hopefully it is successful we will have millions of doses available to get out into the population,” Meeson said.
“So, is the key really having those doses available?” Bruno asked the CEO.
“We don’t want to find out its good and then have to ramp up manufacturing significant amounts of doses for both of these facilities,” Meeson said.
After Trump’s visit, the president held a news conference where he said things are moving forward.
“The vaccine that we discussed today at even greater length is just coming along really well and its not just one company its many companies have had tremendous progress,” he said.
The president said that he thinks we’re in “good shape” to approve a vaccine by the end of the year.
In a typical world, a vaccine goes through safety tests, efficacy trials and then the decision is made whether to manufacture.
The key with Operation Warp Speed is providing enough money to pharmaceutical companies so the vaccines can be on hand and ready to roll out the minute they are determined to work.
“Instead of the usual sequence of vaccine development testing and trials followed by production, our strategy is to conduct these phases simultaneously, so everything goes at one time. We’re not waiting and waiting and waiting, it’s all going at one time,” the president said.
>> Have questions about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the Carolinas? We have an entire section dedicated to coverage of the outbreak -- CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
Experts said even though work on a vaccine is happening quickly, safety is not being jeopardized.
‘It is important to emphasize even though the program is called Operation Warp Speed, no corners are being cut and the same steps are being taken for the development of any vaccine, they are just being accelerated,” said Director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute Dr. Barton Haynes.
Haynes said human trials last a year, so it will be likely next summer at the earliest that the vaccines will be rolled out in a mass scale.
Monday’s visit came as the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccine started and our area will play a key role. Tryon Medical Partners is looking for 350 people in Charlotte to participate in a vaccine trial.
North Carolina is a key battleground state in the coming election, and Trump’s visit marks his 10th trip to the state during his presidency.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
