Pfizer COVID Vaccine A Game Changer?

Is the new Pfizer COVID vaccine that was announced on Monday the silver bullet the world has been waiting to get?

Health
When Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told the world he believes his firm may have found a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, he added that the vaccine appears 90% effective and could be a “game-changer.” He also added that scientists in the Pfizer lab were jumping up and down for joy at the possibilities.

That’s no small potatoes.

Yes, news of the likely Pfizer COVID vaccine, which was made in conjunction with the German company BioNTech, appears to be a game-changer. The report sent Pfizer stock soaring through the roof and began to give hope to citizens of the world who are currently experiencing a 2nd or even 3rd wave of the global pandemic that has seen worldwide shut-downs and economic collapses.

So, what do we know to date?

In July, Pfizer and BioNTech initiated a late-stage clinical trial involving 44,000 participants. Half of that group received the vaccine, while the other half were given a placebo of saltwater. The next step was a game of wait-and-see to deduce who got sick and who didn’t.

To date, only 94 out of nearly 44,000 participants have contracted Covid-19. Although that is 94 people too many, it equates to 90% efficacy. Interestingly, the Food and Drug Administration originally set a bar of 50% efficacy, meaning they’ve nearly doubled their hopes and expectations.

Immediately upon hearing the news, VP Mike Pence latched on to the Pfizer COVID vaccine and pretended it was all part of Donald Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed” program that was supposed to get a vaccine out by election day.  However, the Pfizer CEO quickly squashed those claims, assuring the public that neither Pence nor Trump had a single thing to do with their discovery.
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FALSE

HUGE NEWS: Thanks to the public-private partnership forged by President @realDonaldTrump, @pfizer announced its Coronavirus Vaccine trial is EFFECTIVE, preventing infection in 90% of its volunteers.

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) November 9, 2020

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Now, Pfizer and BioNTech must play another game of wait-and-see to determine if the Pfizer COVID vaccine produces any notable side effects months or weeks after being administered. Then and only then will the FDA provide emergency authorization for the vaccine to be distributed to millions of people.

To be clear, IF this vaccine becomes authorized, it will be many months from now before the first vials are administered to the general public. The vaccine would come in 2 shots and would be given over time to each individual. Further, it would take perhaps the remainder of 2021 and possibly into 2022 for the billions of Americans to receive the necessary 2 doses.

Until then, officials are warning the public not to let down their guard with the news. Everyone must continue to wear a mask at all times while in public, to maintain social distancing of 6 feet or more from those not in their circle, to avoid large gatherings, and to continue to wash hands frequently and to use caution.

The vaccine will not come in time to rescue the world from the next several months of rising COVID cases and potential shutdowns. However, at least for now, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

OK WASSUP! covers Health News:
Pfizer COVID vaccine could be a ‘game-changer.’