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Agencies:
“Pfizer and Biontech” announced an experimental vaccine against the Corona virus that has been shown to be more than 90% effective, according to a preliminary analysis of the results of the experiments.
The vaccine was tested in 43,500 people in six countries and there were no reservations about its efficacy.
And those responsible for developing it plan to submit an emergency request to authorize the use of the vaccine later this month. They described this announcement as “a great day for science and humanity.”
Finding an effective vaccine, in addition to other drugs, is expected to help reduce the restrictions placed on people’s lives since the outbreak of the Corona epidemic.
BBC Arabic described the vaccine as the first to achieve the desired results, despite the arrival of more than ten vaccines in the final stages of testing.
How does the vaccine work?
As for the way the vaccine works, “BBC Arabic” reported that it works in a new way that involves injecting a person with part of the virus’s genetic code in order to train the immune system to deal with it.
Scientists take part of the genetic code of the virus that instructs cells on what to build and encapsulates them in fat so they can enter the cells of the body.
Two doses will be required three weeks apart.
And trials in the United States, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and Turkey showed that those who received the vaccine gained 90% immunity seven days after receiving the second dose.
Pfizer believes it can produce 50 million doses by the end of the year and 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.
But there are logistical challenges, as the vaccine must be kept at minus 80 degrees.
It is not clear how long the immunity provided by the vaccine will last.
The rules of the game have changed
“We have taken an important step in providing people around the world with a long-awaited achievement to help end the global health crisis,” said Albert Porta, Pfizer Director.
In an interview with CNN with the CEO of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals after announcing an emerging corona virus vaccine with an effectiveness of more than 90%, he said that the rules of the game against the virus have changed by 90%, and we have a 90% % of hope against the virus.
Professor Ujur Shaheen, one of the founders of Biontech, described the results as a “milestone”.
The data presented does not constitute the final analysis of the vaccine, as it is based on 94% volunteers, and effectiveness may vary after evaluating the results of all analyzes.
The two companies say there will be enough safety data available by the third week of November, and then the vaccine will be introduced for licensing.
So far, the vaccine cannot be used. The UK has seized 40 million doses, enough for 20 million people.
“This news made me smile happily,” said Oxford University Professor Peter Horby. “We still have a long journey ahead of us before the vaccine works, but this is a watershed moment.”
And Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the American Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, confirmed in a telephone interview with CNN on Monday that Fires’ announcement that the vaccine he is working on for the emerging corona virus is 90% effective, bodes well for other Corona vaccines that are still in development. .
Fauci said that Pfizer “was able to get results very quickly because of the bad epidemic.” He added: “The answer depends on the size of the experience and the number of injuries in the community.”
“This was an experiment targeting 44,000 people and we are in the midst of a huge surge right now. Together, these two things increase the likelihood that you will get a quick response, which is what happened. We received a response quickly.”
The vaccine and the American elections
Albert Burla, CEO of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, said announcing a vaccine against the emerging corona virus has nothing to do with the date of the US election results.
He added in an interview with CNN: “The flag was brought to us at this time specifically … and the elections for us are an artificial calendar.”
While US President Donald Trump welcomed Pfizer’s announcement, as did President-elect Joe Biden, the latter warned that the battle against Corona is still long, while US equity markets rose with its opening. as a result of the Pfizer advertisement.
Commentary on “Global Health”
The Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Adhanom Tedros, welcomed the encouraging news of the Pfizer vaccine against the emerging corona virus.
Tedros praised the efforts of all scientists and partners around the world who continue to develop new safe and effective tools to overcome the “Covid-19” pandemic, describing the vaccine as positive.
He said in a blog post that the world is witnessing unprecedented scientific innovation and cooperation. To end this pandemic.
Egypt and negotiating with Pfizer
In Egypt, Dr. Khaled Megahed, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, commented on the announcement of the US pharmaceutical company “Pfizer”; The success of its experiments on the Coronavirus vaccine with more than 90% efficacy, says: “The company announced a 90% guarantee of antibodies against the Corona virus. The announcement is very promising, but we should not rush the results before the completion of the clinical and clinical results that guarantee the safety of the vaccine “.
Mujahid added, in a telephone interview with journalist Amr Adib, on the “Al-Hekaya” program broadcast on the “mbc Egypt” channel on Monday night: “The vaccine will be subject to accurate long-term monitoring, and any vaccine that is approved requires first verification of the safety of this vaccine in the short and long term. ” He explained that the age of any vaccine for the Corona virus will not exceed one year.
A health spokesperson confirmed that the Egyptian government negotiated with Pfizer last October to obtain 20% of its needs for the new vaccine, explaining that the 20% contracted by the Ministry of Health represented the doses for the sectors most vulnerable to the repercussions. from contracting the virus, such as those with chronic diseases and the elderly. And medical equipment.
Mujahid indicated that the Egyptian Ministry of Health had received a letter from the Regional Director of the World Health Organization in the Middle East indicating the need to prepare with a clear policy for the distribution of the vaccine and the stages of its implementation. transfer and storage, in addition to emergency registration procedures.
For his part, Dr. Ashraf Hatem, a former Minister of Health, said that the scientific community was aware of the preparation of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Company to launch a new vaccine for the emerging corona virus after the end of the US presidential elections.
Hatem added, during a telephone interview with the “On My Responsibility” program broadcast on the “Echo of the Country” channel on Monday, that the Pfizer vaccine will save the world from Corona’s third wave, and that within a timeframe that will range from 6 and 9 months there will be vaccines for Corona and it will not be a serious illness. Noting that the British University of Oxford vaccine will be announced within two weeks and will be available to medical teams, the elderly and people with immune and chronic diseases.
He added that Pfizer is the world’s number one drug company, and the vaccine it announced to combat Corona is a breakthrough in the world of vaccines.
Economic impacts
Economically, the shares of the German company “Biontec” and “Pfizer” of America jumped after the release of promising data on their possible vaccine to treat the Corona virus.
Pfizer shares rose 9%, while Biontech shares rose 16% shortly after the announcement, which indicated that the two companies plan to send the vaccine to the US Food and Drug Administration next week. to get your approval.
The London Stock Exchange index rose after a consortium of the United States and Germany announced that it had produced a highly effective vaccine against the Corona virus.
After a period of stability in the morning trading session, the FTSE index is up 5%, compared to last Friday’s close.
The two companies said they intend to submit the vaccine to the US Food and Drug Administration for approval soon.
The index currently stands at 6,209.93 points.
US stock indices also rose significantly at the close on Monday, in light of positive news for the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus.
Monday was also the first opportunity for merchants to respond to the news that Democrat Joe Biden had won the US presidential election.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the trading session up 834.57 points, or 2.25%, to 29,157.97 points.
The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 41.06 points, or 1.17%, to 35.50.50 points.
The arrival of the Corona vaccine means more stability in markets and businesses, after there was fear of re-imposing a closure of the global economy in the face of the spread of the second wave of Corona.
Despite the optimistic reactions to this vaccine, although the data announced by Pfizer and Biontec is positive but still preliminary, many questions remain unresolved, except that the vaccine is 90% safe, and it is still too early for researchers. determine how long the vaccine will provide immunity. Furthermore, it is not clear whether the vaccine has been successful in all groups, which may be revealed by “Pfizer and Biontech” later after completing the final experiments and analyzes it performs.
