A year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak to meet the criteria for a pandemic. As of today, more than 110 million COVID-19 patients have been diagnosed worldwide, and more than 2.6 million people have lost their lives, according to WHO statistics. On the World Health Organization's website, however, alongside the alarming and distressing numbers of cases and deaths, there is a hopeful statistical picture. That's a picture of COVID-19 vaccination data around the world. As of March 9, more than 260 million doses of vaccine have been administered worldwide, and more than 156 million people have received at least one dose of COVID-19. Today's news of a new coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer/Biontech and a neutralizing antibody therapy from GlaxoSmithKline /Vir Biotechnology has raised the prospect of effective prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Pfizer (PFE), Biontech and the Israeli Ministry of Health announced today that real-world data show that the new Coronal Vaccine BNT162B2, jointly developed by Pfizer and Biontech, is 97% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 94% effective in preventing asymptomatic infections. "This is the most comprehensive real-world evidence to date of the high effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine," the press release noted, "and it will be of great significance to vaccinating countries around the world.

This data is based on surveillance data obtained by the Israeli Ministry of Health between January 17, 2021 and March 6, 2021. BNT162B2 was the only COVID-2 vaccine used in Israel during this period, and the predominant strain circulating in Israel was the B.1.1.7 COVID-1 mutant strain originally discovered in the United Kingdom (accounting for 80% of the samples tested).
Previous data from the Israeli Ministry of Health have shown that a single dose of BNT162B2 protects against COVID-19. The data showed that the vaccine was more effective in people who received two doses of BNT162B2. Two weeks after receiving the second dose, BNT162B2 was 97% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 and 94% effective against asymptomatic infections.

In China, Fosun Pharma and Biontech launched a phase 2 clinical trial in November to test the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in healthy volunteers to support their application for marketing in China. It has been approved for emergency use in Hong Kong, China.

From: WuXi AppTec

Date: March 12, 2021