By Ben Kerrigan-
A successful coronavirus vaccine has been 90 percent effective during human trials – a major step in the global effort to beat Covid-19.
The vaccine developed by US company Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech – has been effective in preventing infections during ongoing Phase 3 trials, the companies announced today.
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The vaccine involves a study of 43,538 participants. The data shows that two doses, three weeks apart, are needed. The trials – in US, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey – show 90% protection is achieved seven days after the second dose.
The data presented is based on only the first 94 volunteers to develop Covid so the precise effectiveness of the vaccine may change when the full results are analysed.
Dr Albert Bourla, the chairman of Pfizer, said: “We are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.”
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Prof Ugur Sahin, one of the founders of BioNTech, described the results as a “milestone”.
Various countries will decide who should be prioritised, with hospital staff and care home workers to be given top priority because of the vulnerable people they work with, as will the elderly who are most at risk of severe disease.
How long does immunity lasts under the vaccine remains an unanswered question. manufacturing and logistical challenges in immunising huge numbers of people has also been raised, as the vaccine has to be kept in ultra-cold storage at below minus 80C.
The UK is likely to prioritise older resident in care homes and the people that work there.
U.S president-elect Joe Biden described the revelation as “excellent news”.
“It is also important to understand that the end of the battle against Covid-19 is still months away,” he added.
The UK Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the results were “promising” and that “the NHS stands ready to begin a vaccination programme for those most at risk once a Covid-19 vaccine is available”.
Prof Peter Horby, from the University of Oxford, said: “This news made me smile from ear to ear.
“It is a relief… there is a long long way to go before vaccines will start to make a real difference, but this feels to me like a watershed moment.”
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is set to hold a Downing Street press conference at 5pm today, where he will likely make an announcement regarding the current lockdown in England.
The Prime Minister is also expected to address the number of rising cases across the UK and to give an update on the latest in the Government’s mass testing programmes.
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