The World Health Organization (WHO) has commissioned Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines to reverse engineer the Moderna vaccine.
While there is a reason for patents and copyright, "To promote the progress of science and useful arts," to quote Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the United States Constitution, but this is a pandemic with tens of millions dead, and patents do not serve the public interest at this time:
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The World Health Organization has hired the company, called Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, as part of a $100 million plan to figure out how to make an mRNA vaccine against COVID that is as close as possible to the version produced by Moderna.
Until recently, Afrigen specialized in developing veterinary vaccines using fairly traditional methods. Now, says Afrigen's managing director, Petro Treblanche, the company's labs are a hive of research into the cutting-edge technology behind mRNA vaccines.
"You will see scientists in white coats and some with full personal protective equipment [suits] operating a bioreactor to make the actual DNA," says Treblanche. "You will see microbiology clean rooms where testing is taking place. You will see stability chambers where some of the products are put in to understand how stable they are in different environments of humidity and temperature."
As I understand it, mRNA vaccines, once you work the kinks out, allow you to set up the equivalent of a full vaccine factory in a walk-in closet.
The capital equipment required is tiny compared to a conventional vaccine factory.
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