Supply Chain

Near the back of a Corning Inc. glassmaking plant here, a robot picked up a cage packed with hundreds of tiny vials and plunged it into a salt bath bubbling at more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot soak for several hours is a key step in fortifying the glass vials from cracks, flakes and breaks that could thwart global efforts to stop the coronavirus.

Near the back of a Corning Inc. glassmaking plant here, a robot picked up a cage packed with hundreds of tiny vials and plunged it into a salt bath bubbling at more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot soak for several hours is a key step in fortifying the glass vials from cracks, flakes and breaks that could thwart global efforts to stop the coronavirus. Drugmakers and health authorities are counting on Corning’s new medical glass container, named Valor, to protect Covid-19 vaccines better than conventional ones, especially during initial months when supplies will be limited and little can afford to be lost.

Chicago plays a key role in the nation’s supply chain, which is gearing up for the logistics challenge of a lifetime: mass distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. Yet the complexity of the vaccine rollout and unique facilities requirements mean Chicago’s sprawling network of warehouses — which includes more than 11 million square feet of freezer and cooler space — may not play a major role. That’s because there’s a big difference between storing foods like hamburger patties, frozen peas and ice cream, and preserving a promising Pfizer vaccine that must stay below Arctic-winter temperatures.

If you believe the hype, a COVID-19 vaccine is just weeks away. Experts say widespread vaccination could help bring the deadly pandemic to its knees, so let's hope a safe, effective vaccine emerges from clinical trials. But don't count on getting your shots just yet.

When Covid-19 vaccines receive approval from health authorities, they will need to be moved from where they’re produced to where they will be administered to recipients. Considering that most vaccines need to be refrigerated during storage and transport, it is expected that heavy demands will be made of all aspects of the cold chain. Two of the leading vaccine candidates — from Pfizer and Moderna — have to be kept well below freezing, which requires specialized equipment and handling practices. The Pfizer vaccine, for example, has to be stored below -70 Celsius, meaning it has to be packed in dry ice.

The U.S. just reached a dark milestone: 10 million reported coronavirus cases. But there is also big news for a potential coronavirus vaccine. On November 9, Pfizer and German drugmaker BioNTech announced that data from their ongoing coronavirus vaccine trial shows the vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19, per the New York Times.

The duo's vaccine, known as BNT162b2, proved to be 90% effective after being tested on nearly 44,000 participants in its Phase III study.  This is a significant milestone in the fight against a virus that has infected more than 50 million people around the globe, resulting in over 1.2 million deaths. FOX Business takes a look at the key data points investors and consumers should know, as well as reactions from business and political leaders.

Prashant Yadav of the Center for Global Development and Tinglong Dai of Johns Hopkins University, join “Squawk on the Street” to discuss coronavirus vaccine development and distribution.

Not even a year after SARS-CoV-2 was first identified, several coronavirus vaccines are now in the final stages of testing. Some people worry we’re moving too fast; others argue that “Operation Warp Speed” is not moving nearly fast enough. There’s a lot at stake — from public health, to trust in science, to the economy — and failure is not an option.

Kenya is among countries that will be required to improve cold chain networks to meet the storage demands of a Covid-19 vaccine. Experts say refrigeration requirements have cast doubt on the ability to access the vaccine to more than three billion people. As a result, the poor who are among the hardest hit by Covid-19 are likely to be the last to be reached by the vaccine.