Anyone in the United States who wants a Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine can get one. But there are a lot of fence-sitters who don't trust the mRNA technology, even though the two shots are safe and effective.
Dr. Peter Hotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi of Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine developed their own vaccine using older technology, like that used to make the Hepatitis B vaccine that's been around for several decades. It's a project they began in 2003 as a result of the SARS epidemic.
Hotez's thought is Corebevax could close the vaccine hesitancy gap.
"We've gotten lots of emails, I say we, my science partner in this, Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi says 'hey, when can we get this. We don't want mRNA but we will take your vaccine,'" Hotez said.
He says in theory, Corbevax could help close the U.S. vaccine hesitancy gaps "But right now we do not have a US partner for that and we're not receiving government support, so right now that's not on the table but we'll see downstream."
A little more than 73% of Texas five and up have had at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. 62% have had two. Over five and a half million Texans have gotten their booster shot.
Corbevax has been approved for emergency use authorization in India where it is being produced and Hotez says it should be approved for other nations soon.
Hotez and Bottazzi do not hold a patent, meaning they will not profit off the shot that is inexpensive to make.
"The reason we moved to Texas was to do big things, like make a vaccine for the world," Hotez said. "People don't really understand how Texas is a state of science and innovation and this very much falls in that spectrum."
He says the plant in India has 150 million doses ready to go and plans to make 100 million a month. They hope to manufacture a billion doses this year: "It's pretty exciting for our modest-size research institute here in Texas to embark on some Texas-style vaccine diplomacy with India."
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