COVID-19: NHS must get the Pfizer vaccine where it is needed - and fast
The breakthrough treatment has been found to be 94% effective against the disease in people aged over 65.
Wednesday 18 November 2020 11:55, UK
Of all the exciting recent news on coronavirus vaccines, this is perhaps the most significant of all.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine works in the people who need it the most. In the over 65s it was over 94% effective against the disease.
It's a massive tick in the wish-list for a vaccine.
The immune systems of older people don't generally work as well as those of the young.
But the latest data shows the vaccine is just about as effective in people of all ages.
The companies also say the overall effectiveness of the vaccine is now 95%, up from the 90% suggested by the interim analysis last week.
That's the same as the Moderna vaccine, which uses similar technology.
The clinical trials on just over 43,000 volunteers found no serious safety concerns.
A few had headaches and fatigue, but that's not unusual for a vaccine.
One big scientific question remains. How long does immunity last? If people need regular booster doses that will stretch manufacturing capacity still further.
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The answer to that will come from the ongoing monitoring of antibody and T-cell levels in people who have had the vaccine.
In the short term, the success of this vaccine will depend on the logistics.
Its activity depends on the dry ice and heavily insulated container that keeps it at minus 70C for up to 15 days.
Raise the temperature by just 10 degrees and it may not work.
It's a smart and effective vaccine. Now the NHS and its suppliers need to get it where it's needed, and fast.