SHIRLEY DE VILLIERS: Covid vaccines: the good, the bad, and the unknown
Blimp of good news on the horizon as Covid vaccines hit the sweet spot
On the heels of Pfizer’s recent announcement that its Covid vaccine is 90% effective, US biotech upstart Moderna on Monday announced a 94.5% efficacy rate for its offering – only to have Pfizer rejoin with a 95% efficacy update on Wednesday.
The results from phase 3 clinical trials for both vaccines are promising. As health website StatNews reports (https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/18/pfizer-biontech-covid19-vaccine-fda-data/), among Pfizer’s roughly 43,000 trial volunteers, 170 have so far presented with symptoms of Covid and tested positive for the coronavirus; 162 of those were in the placebo group, while just eight were in the group that received the double-dose vaccine. Of 10 severe cases of Covid, nine were in the placebo group...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.