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Experts today hailed the “promising” news of Pfizer vaccine results as a “turning point” in the fight against Covid-19.
The big breakthrough was announced today after a preliminary analysis by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech found the vaccine to be over 90% effective.
Experts said the findings suggest the inoculation has “truly impressive protection,” suggesting it could accelerate the development of other vaccines, paving the way for the launch of at least one vaccine in the UK. early next year.
Professor Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Oxford University, said: “This news made me smile from ear to ear.
“It is a relief to see such positive results on this vaccine and a good omen for Covid-19 vaccines in general.
“Of course we need to see more details and wait for the final results, and there is still a long way to go before vaccines start making a real difference. But it seems to me that it is a turning point.
Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading, said the Pfizer study data shows “truly impressive protection and no adverse events reported.”
He said: “Of all the vaccines currently in development, the BioNtech product has always seemed the most affordable because it focuses entirely on the part of the virus that binds to the human cell, the receptor binding domain.
“Questions about its use revolved around large-scale production capacity and the possible toxicity associated with a directly injected RNA product. The study data shows excellent results in both areas, truly impressive protection, and no adverse events reported.
Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, said the development could trigger a return to “normal” life by spring.
“This is setting the pace for other vaccines … I see no reason why we shouldn’t have a handful of good vaccines now,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
“This is very important, because there is no other really obvious way to really have control over this thing.”
Asked if people could hope for a return to normal life by spring, Sir John replied: “Yes, yes, yes, yes. I’m probably the first to say it, but I’ll say it with confidence.
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Downing Street hailed the news as “promising”
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Professor Azra Ghani, president of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College London, said the long-term efficacy data will come in the weeks and months to come.
Professor Ghani said: “These new findings represent the first demonstration of the substantial efficacy of a Covid-19 disease vaccine candidate, which is great news.
“The estimate of effectiveness is based on the participants’ seven-day follow-up after the second dose; Additional data in the weeks and months ahead will provide a better picture of the vaccine’s long-term efficacy.
But Dr Michael Head, senior researcher in global health at the University of Southampton, called for caution, adding, “This cautiously looks like a great result from the phase three studies, but we have to be a little cautious.
“If the final results show nearly 90% efficacy with a response in the elderly and ethnic minorities, this is a very good result for a first-generation vaccine.”
Downing Street hailed the results as “promising” and said the UK would purchase 10 million doses by the end of the year for distribution if approved.
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The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “The results are promising and, although we are optimistic about a breakthrough, we must remember that there are no guarantees.
“We will know if the vaccine is both safe and effective once the safety data has been released and only then can the licensing authorities consider making it available to the public.
“In the meantime, the NHS is ready to initiate a vaccination program for those most at risk once a Covid-19 vaccine is available before it is distributed more widely.
“In total, we have purchased 40 million doses of Pfizer’s candidate vaccine, with 10 million of those doses being manufactured and available in the UK by the end of the year if the vaccine is approved by regulatory authorities.”
Nicola Sturgeon said the prospect of an effective coronavirus vaccine provides a silver coating that could help the country get out of a “rather dark tunnel”.
The prime minister said the development was “perhaps one of the best news we have had in recent weeks,” but warned that the coup may not provide “a way out” until next year. .
But the newly elected US President Joe Biden said the end of the battle against the coronavirus is “still months away”.
He said: “I congratulate the brilliant men and women who helped make this breakthrough and gave us such a reason for hope.
“At the same time, it is also important to understand that there are still months to go before the end of the battle against Covid-19. The news follows a schedule previously announced by industry officials to enforce approval of the vaccine by the end of November. Even if this is achieved, and some Americans are vaccinated by the end of the year, it will still take several months for vaccination to become widespread in this country. “
About 12 Covid-19 vaccines around the world are currently in the final stages of testing, but Pfizer is the first to report the results.
The results are based on the first interim analysis of the phase 3 of the study and evaluated 94 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the study participants.
The study recruited 43,538 participants, 42 percent with different backgrounds, and no serious security issues were observed, the companies report.
They add that more data on safety and efficacy continue to be collected. The split case between vaccinated individuals and those who received placebo indicates a vaccine efficacy rate of more than 90%, seven days after the second dose.
Researchers say this means protection is achieved 28 days after the start of vaccination, which consists of two doses.
However, they caution that as the study continues, the effectiveness rate of the final vaccine may vary.
The companies plan to apply for an emergency authorization to use the vaccine by the end of the month. although they did not provide a breakdown of vaccine efficacy into different age groups.
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