A Shortage Of Glass Vials May Hold Up The Distribution Of A Coronavirus Vaccine Six Months

Bigpicturescience.org is a podcast that comes out each Monday. It is science for the layperson. The podcast yesterday was about obscure facts relating to coronavirus. When we get a prescription from the pharmacy, it generally comes in a plastic bottle. Those of you who are diabetics and take insulin know that your medicine comes in a rugged glass vial. When we have a valid and proven coronavirus vaccine, its widespread dissemination might be held up six months due to a shortage of glass vials. There is only one firm in the US that produces glass vials. All glass comes from silica or sand. Sand mining operations around the world are not producing enough silica. One Silicon Valley company came up with an ingenious vial that is plastic on the outside with a glass lining. This has not been accepted yet.