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Pfizer Inc.

Breakthrough in COVID-19 Vaccine Development: Pfizer's Jab Shows 90% Effectiveness

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Pharmaceutical firm Pfizer has announced its COVID-19 vaccine, developed in partnership with BioNTech, has shown more than 90% effectiveness in preventing people from developing the disease. The announcement comes after an interim analysis of data from a trial involving 43,500 people in six countries, with no safety concerns raised. Pfizer plans to apply for emergency approval to use the vaccine by the end of the month.

Key Takeaways:

  • The vaccine, known as a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries, with no safety concerns raised.
  • The mRNA vaccine uses only the virus's genetic code, eliminating the need for actual virus in production, allowing for rapid production and modification if necessary.
  • mRNA vaccines have been hailed as a potentially rapid solution to new outbreaks of infectious diseases, with the added benefit of being cheaper to produce than traditional vaccines.
  • The vaccine will be subject to rigorous testing and oversight from experienced regulators, including the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
  • The first priority groups for vaccination include older adults in care homes, care home workers, and health and social care workers over 80.
  • A total of 44 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are in development, with nine in phase three clinical trials, including Pfizer's vaccine and the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca's vaccine.
  • Pfizer plans to collect safety and long-term outcomes data from participants for two years.

Statistics:

  • 43,500 people participated in the trial.
  • 94 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were found among those taking part in the trial.
  • The vaccine has shown more than 90% effectiveness in preventing people from developing Covid-19.
  • 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been secured by the UK government.

Sources:

  • "Pfizer says Covid-19 vaccine is '90 per cent' effective" - article by Caitlin Hutchison.
  • Pfizer press release announcing interim results.
  • Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) interim guidance on COVID-19 vaccination priorities.
  • University of Oxford and AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate - ChAdOx1 nCoV-19.

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