COVID-19 Vaccine Under Trial 90% Effective: US Pharma Giant Pfizer

The entire world’s perseverance to develop a vaccine of COVID-9 pandemic now achieved a milestone. A vaccine currently under trial has proved 90 per cent effective against the Coronavirus pandemic. It has been developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech. The vaccine, BNT162b2, is currently undergoing its Phase 3 human trial that began on July 27. The first set of results shows “initial evidence of the vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19”, Pfizer's CEO and chairperson Albert Bourla announced on Monday, November 9, 2020.

“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,”  said Bourla, as reported by a press release by Pfizer

Prof. Ugur Sah co-founder and CEO of BioNTech said, “The first interim analysis of our global Phase 3 study provides evidence that a vaccine may effectively prevent COVID-19. This is a victory for innovation, science and a global collaborative effort,”

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Many vaccines aimed at preventing COVID-19 have reached the final trials but Pfizer's and BioNTech’s vaccine is the first to show results. USFDA (United States Food And Drug Association) and other international health centres had deigned that a vaccine should protect at least 50 per cent of those being injected to be approved as an official COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine has shown evidence of being more than 90 per cent effective in protecting the injected people from COVID-19. The vaccine has been injected in 43,538 participants from six countries- US, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey- keeping in mind all the safety measures. The process of injection is divided into two doses- the second given three weeks after the first. So till now 38,955 of total 43,538 people injected have received the second dose. As per the report, they did not contract the infection after seven days of getting the second dose of the vaccine.

The vaccine injects the parts of COVID-19 virus’s genetic code in the body and trains the body’s immune system to fight the virus. The vaccine helps the body in producing antibodies and T-cells to fight against coronavirus.

According to Pfizer, it will be able to supply 50 million doses by the end of this year. The UK should be able to receive 10 million doses this year. Around 1.3 billion doses will be provided by 2021. The vaccine will have to be stored at a temperature below 80C.

The manufacturing firms Pfizer and BioNTech have defined this development has a “great day of Science and Humanity.” However, Pfizer hasn’t planned yet to send the vaccine to India.

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