Pfizer & BioNTech Complete Covid-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial, Report 95% Effectiveness
The race to make a Covid-19 vaccine is ongoing, with many different companies and countries stepping to the plate.
One of them completed a late-stage clinical trial, and said their vaccine is 95% effective.
Pfizer, who’s developing their vaccine with BioNTech, reported no major side effects during their tests across ages and ethnicities.
In a press release on Wednesday (18 Nov), they said they hope to make about 50 million vaccine doses this year and make it available for emergency use.
Pfizer reports 95% efficiency in vaccine
Pfizer and BioNTech published their final report on 18 Nov, after they completed their Phase 3 study.
They reported the following:
- 95% effectiveness against Covid-19 28 days after 1st dose
- 170 confirmed Covid-19 cases evaluated, 162 in placebo group and 8 in vaccine group
- Over 94% effectiveness among adults over 65 years old
- Safety data milestone of 2 months required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use achieved
- Over 43,000 participants, with 3.8% reporting fatigue and 2% headache for side effects
- 10 severe Covid-19 cases observed — 9 in placebo group, 1 in vaccine group
They also expect to make up to 50 million doses, which will cover 25 million people, and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.
4 Pfizer plants will manufacture the vaccines.
Urgent need for vaccines globally
Covid-19 seems to see no end in many countries as cases continue to spike as we head into the festive season.
In Singapore, we’re still eagerly awaiting the use of a mass-produced vaccine, with one being developed at home.
That vaccine will hopefully be ready by Mar 2021.
S’pore Covid-19 Vaccine May Be Available By Mar 2021, Possibly Effective In A Single Dose
However, it may be a while before the general population will have access to any vaccines, as those at-risk will be prioritised.
So we’re not holding our breaths for any doses to be available before next year, even though recent news shows promising signs on the vaccine front.
Regardless, it’s remarkable what the world can do when faced with a calamity and we hope to see the end of Covid-19 soon.
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Featured image adapted from European Pharmaceutical Review.
