Pfizer said on Wednesday that its coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective and has no serious side effects.
The state of play: The company said they have enough safety data now and plan to request an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration "within days."
- If the F.D.A. authorizes the vaccine, Pfizer has said that it could have up to 50 million doses available by the end of the year, per the New York Times, but initially only about half of those doses will be available to Americans this year.
- The announcement comes just days after Moderna announced its vaccine was 94.5% effective at preventing infections.
Why it matters: With coronavirus cases surging in the U.S., Americans remain hopeful that there could be two vaccines in distribution before the New Year.
Details: The pharmaceutical company said the vaccine prevented mild and severe forms of the virus, and was 94% effective in older adults.
- By the numbers: Pfizer counted 170 coronavirus cases among its trial volunteers, with 162 infections in people who got placebo, and eight cases in participants who received the actual vaccine.
- The data from the company thus far has not been peer-reviewed but they said they will submit to a peer-reviewed study in a scientific journal once the trial is complete.
🎧 Go deeper: Axios Re:Cap interviews Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
