Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Monday that their joint coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19. The news comes as Europe and North America are seeing dramatic spikes in new coronavirus infections and new lockdowns are drumming up that are freezing swimmers out of the water as winter sets in.
“I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla said in an interview on CNBC on Monday. Bourla hailed the development as a “great day for science and humanity.”
Specifically, advanced Phase 3 trials of the vaccine, which is being developed faster than any vaccine in history, showed that it was 90% effective in preventing the disease among those without evidence of prior infection.
During trials, there were 94 confirmed infections among 43,538 participants. An analysis of those who received the vaccine versus a placebo indicated a vaccine efficacy rate of above 90% 7 days after the second dose of the two-dose vaccine.
The Pfizer vaccine would require 2 doses over a 21 day period.
With scientists hoping for a vaccine that is at least 75% effective, and White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci saying that one at 50% or 60% would be acceptable, a 90% effectiveness rate surpasses both metrics. For reference, the measles vaccine is considered to be about 93% effective.
So far, the coronavirus pandemic has been blamed for the death of over 1.25 million lives globally.
The next phase will be to release complete data from Phase 3 trials for peer review among the scientific community. If all proceeds, the hope is that the vaccine will be ready to begin widespread inoculation in the first half of 2021. That would be just over a year from identification to vaccine, which would shatter the previous record of 4 years. That record was held by the mumps vaccine.
The news sent global financial markets on Monday morning skyrocketing as investors see a path forward to full reopening of world economies.
This news also brings renewed hope that the 2020 Olympic Games will be on track for their rescheduled dates of July 23-August 8, 2021. While insiders have believed that the Games would continue regardless of a vaccine, the presence of such a vaccine could impact the number of athletes and spectators allowed to participate.
Pfizer did not indicate how quickly they would be able to ramp up production of the vaccine in order to distribute it, but experts have said that, just like the timeline for developing the vaccine, distribution should come on a much quicker timeline than what we’ve seen with other new drugs.
The concern for people that are familiar with science and medical testing is the safety side of this accelerated plan.
There is not enough safety data. Time can only get you that.
When this vaccine will be released it will hopefully at least say that the side effects within the first 6 months of taking this vaccine are less severe than the virus it is preventing. To me that is pretty scary.
When the ramifications of this were explained to the people fast tracking this clinical study it was compared to injecting bleach into someone blood stream. This would be very effective at killing the virus but not very safe. The take away was the president announcing that the… Read more »
Before we give all credit to Pfizer, let’s recognize contribution of BioNTech, the brain of this development. Big pharma likes to take all credit but:
“The discovery and early development work were conducted in house for just 10 of Pfizer’s 44 products (23%). Only two of J&J’s 18 leading products (11%) were discovered in house.”
https://www.statnews.com/2019/12/10/large-pharma-companies-provide-little-new-drug-development-innovation/
The rest of innovations came from smaller companies acquired by these giants.
Super true, PsychoDad. Small biotech really functions as an R&D pipeline and arm for large pharma.
Before we give all credit to Pfizer, let’ss recognize controbution of BioNTech, the brain of this development. Big phasrmnma likes to take all credit but:
Is this real? Like an actual vaccine this early that will be viable? It seems to good to be true.
Feeling hopeful today! All this time I’ve forgotten about the possibility of a vaccine, only being disappointed at the rise of cases. Hopefully the distribution and manufacturing process goes smoothly and quickly!
Very interesting that it just comes out now and not a week ago or earlier… just saying
Why? Operation Warp Speed (the public-private partnership established by the Trump admin) provided no money for the development of the pfizer vaccine. So even if they came out with the news last week any claim by Trump that he had anything to with its creation would have been a lie.
While it’s technically true that Pfizer didn’t accept money up front from Warp Speed to develop the vaccine, they DID ACCEPT a $2 billion purchase order from the Warp Speed Initiative to produce and deliver 100 million doses of a vaccine with an option to purchase another 500 million. That considerably reduced the risk of scaling up production and manufacturing “at risk”. There will likely be other effective vaccines to come from other manufacturers (ie Moderna). Regardless of your politics, this has been a remarkable achievement between the public and private sectors.
He also was constantly saying that a vaccine was very close to being ready for the public. So he knew about this.
He knew the results of a blinded study?
The best part is the vaccine will be released during Biden’s presidency so he will get credit for it. Trump will try to claim credit (If he even still has his Twitter account and isn’t in jail), but most people will associate the conquering of corona with Biden.
Sorry the Trump Train has been DERAILED! You’re RIDIN’ with BIDEN now baby!
It was a hard fought campaign on both sides. Trump in all honesty did run a strong campaign, but now is the time for us as Americans to rally around our President Elect to face covid and work to better our nation. Regardless of if your preferred candidate won or lost, we should all be very proud as Americans… Read more »
Yeah, Baby!
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was developed without federal funds. Neither 45 nor 46 get credit.
Yes, but Operation Warp speed did more than supply funds. Was a means of the companies speaking together which was huge.
I’m really not speaking as a Biden supporter when I say that. Just giving the political reality. If the vaccine comes out under a Biden presidency, expect the public to associate him with it. Regardless of how much or little he actually contributes. You can also expect the Republicans to go even harder on the anti-vax because to take away from his “win.”
It’s similar to what happens with gas prices. A president certainly doesn’t pull a Gas Go Up lever but the public associates a Prez with higher gas prices.
The gas prices thing was always a strange dichotomy in the ~20 years that I lived in Houston and worked in the energy industry.
Everyone else celebrated lower prices at the pump, but Houston had their own little mini-recessions when that happened.
Yes . Oil is the result billions of years of earths’ bio activity yet ppl want it cheaper than modern coca cola. Cheap oli has led to a 6 x global movement of ppl over the last 30 years which also moved this virus quickly & prevents containment.
We’d mitigate this virus by raising the price of oil x 6 & preventi excess travel . I’d also settle for 6x more expensive coke if it was the original formulae .
I
Often, depressed oil (and gas) prices are the result of reduced demand, often because of general economic conditions. Gas is cheap right now because not as many people need very much of it. Example: when the pandemic struck, I filled my tank on March 18. Didn’t fill it again until early June. Pre-pandemic, I put about 18,000 miles on my car/year.
“Political swimswam” is the worst swimswam. Followed closely by “Covid swimswam.” I can only dream of the day when I come to SwimSwam to just read about Dressel’s new swim exploits and the latest Michael Andrew workout fad. That day can’t some soon enough!
I am no Trump fan (or voter) myself, but your last paragraph might have come across a tad more sincerely had you not gloated in the first two.
I don’t think Biden will get or try to take credit for this. For one it would make no sense since this was developed during Trumps time and second he’s tried to downplay it as well. What’s interesting is Pfizer is saying they rejected federal money to develop the vaccine so I don’t know how much credit the government can take for this unless it was fast tracking the approval process.
100% hard pass for my family and I. But I believe in liberty! Ya’ll can take it
*Charles Darwin upvotes*
Huge shocker you’d have anti-vax sentiments.
It’s not all about you and yours…..it’s about stopping this virus, getting the economy rolling, and getting back to normal. If all Americans who are able to take the vaccine do it, we protect each other, the vulnerable and the elderly, and hopefully get rid of it altogether. I have immediate family members (my husband included) who are enrolled in this particular trial – those 40,000 plus folks who signed up are the real patriots here – making sure it’s safe and effective for the rest of us. Me and my whole family will take the vaccine as soon as it’s available – and we’ll do it not just to protect ourselves – but everyone else, you too. You’re welcome.
Tyfys
Why is it always somebody’s wife or husband but never them?
Imagine bragging about child neglect.
Then stop pissing about them not being able to go to school, swim practice/meets, etc. Either vaccinate them or not, but let them live their lives because as you say, they are at extremely little risk.
Wow, when did I ever piss about them not being able to go to school? If the media didn’t beat fear into the masses 24/7, we wouldn’t even know this thing existed. It’s a big fat zero IMO.
I will tell that to my sister when she returns exhausted from working in the at-capacity Covid ICU at a local hospital.
my family and me
Liberty does not mean the freedom to not care about your fellow American. I will be getting the vaccine to help keep you and your family safe.
Will do. but stay the hell out of my life when i want to live it normally. you got problems with covid after a vaccine don’t cry about masks and social distancing.
I wish I could have signed up for the trial, personally.
Alright let’s take a poll. Is Hiswimcoach a:
1. Russian bot
2. China not
3. The French Olympic relay team?
We will also be opting out. Not worth the risk for something that has no track record.