Pfizer Says Its Coronavirus Vaccine Is 94% Effective In Over 65s
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Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine appears to protect 94% of adults above the age of 65.
It comes just a week after Pfizer and BioNTech released a report from its phase three trials, which revealed the vaccine had offered 90% protection against the deadly virus.
According to reports from the BBC, the two companies will now request authorisation for emergency use, so that the vaccine can be administered in the United States.
The vaccine is currently in the third phase of trials, with two doses being administered to more than 41,000 people around the world. This was based on 94 people with confirmed coronavirus cases being given the vaccination, while the majority of people were given a dummy jab.
The data presented today comes from a group of 170 volunteers – eight of which were given the vaccine.
Pfizer and BioNTech’s experimental approach to developing the vaccination involves injecting a part of the virus’s genetic code into a person, to allow their body to train its immune system against it.
As phase three trials continue, it’s likely that the success rate could change, as the sample size changes. However, with regulators confirming earlier this year that they would authorise vaccines with a 50% success rate or above, these preliminary phase three results seem very promising.
In a press conference last week, Boris Johnson announced the UK had already put in an order for 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech candidate.
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