Pfizer Says COVID-19 Vaccine Is Looking 90% Effective

Pfizer said Monday that an early peek at the data on its coronavirus vaccine suggests the shots may be a surprisingly robust 90% effective at preventing COVID-19.

via: Complex

On Monday, Pfizer and BioNTech announced their vaccine candidate has been found to be more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior infection in the first interim efficacy analysis.

In a press release, Dr. Albert Bourla—chairman and CEO for Pfizer—said this update marks “a great day for science and humanity” and can be seen as a sign of being one integral step closer to providing relief during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” Dr. Bourla said. “We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity, and economies struggling to reopen. With today’s news, 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. We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks.”

Kathrin Jansen, a senior VP and the leader of vaccine research and development at Pfizer, spoke with the New York Times for a piece published on Monday. In it, Jansen noted her approach of distancing the company from the federal Operation Warp Speed push.

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