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- Pfizer said in a press release that its experimental vaccine is 90% effective in preventing COVID-19, a promising step to slow the spread of the virus.
- Still, it could take months before the vaccine is available to many people. The study is not over, regulators have not reviewed it, and supplies may be limited.
- Experts say the vaccine won’t save vacation travel this winter, not even in early spring.
- Precautions such as social distancing, hand washing and wearing a mask will remain essential until the summer of 2021, the scientists hope.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have announced a new vaccine that may be effective in preventing COVID-19, but you have no plans for a big party just yet.
In a press release on Monday, the company announced that the vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19, according to data from an ongoing trial. This is the first report of positive results from a COVID-19 vaccine trial.
Many questions remain about the study, which has not yet been completed. Pfizer has not released any of its data and has not submitted it for peer review or regulatory approval.
Plus, experts say it’s too early to know when the vaccine will be widely available to enough people to justify ditching our masks and social distancing.
As such, the vaccine (or a competitor) is highly unlikely to impact our lives in the foreseeable future – experts say it won’t make a difference for travel plans or family reunions until 2021.
We’ll continue to wear masks and social distancing through Christmas, experts say
While the news about the Pfizer vaccine is promising, precautions still need to be taken for the foreseeable future, according to Leslie McClure, professor of biostatistics and chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University, who specializes in research on clinical trials.
For the upcoming Christmas season, everyone should continue with social distancing and wear a mask around other people, and gather outside whenever possible, he advised.
The vaccine still faces a lengthy review and approval process. Pfizer plans to apply for emergency approval, but will need to collect more data to do so, and that won’t be available until the end of November, leaving just four more weeks in 2020 to get regulatory approval and get the supply chain. Moving.
“It’s highly unlikely that it will be widely available by the end of this year, even if things accelerate as quickly as possible,” McClure told Insider.
Dr. Richard Besser, executive director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation health philanthropy organization, echoed McClure, tweeting that people still need to be vigilant and socially distant during the winter, and that the government should provide financial support. extra to help people stay home.
—Rich Besser (@DrRichBesser) November 9, 2020
The vaccine will probably not be available for Easter and Easter either.
Experts also recommend postponing planning for spring break like Easter and Easter.
Initial supplies of the vaccine are likely to be limited.
In the clinical trial of the vaccine, participants received two doses. This vaccine is also particularly difficult to store and ship, as it must be kept at negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit, colder than most other vaccines.
“It’s too early to tell without more information. The press release doesn’t set a clear timeline, and what we’re learning now is actually speculation,” McClure said.
Once the supply chain is up and running, health officials have said they will prioritize vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, people with pre-existing conditions and first responders, before releasing a vaccine to the general public, a process it will take months. .
Experts predict that we will wear masks even after the vaccine is released to the general public
“The moment you get a vaccine doesn’t mean you’re going to throw your mask away,” Maria Elena Bottazzi, a vaccine developer at Baylor College of Medicine, previously told Business Insider. “That is not going to happen. I hope people don’t think it is going to be the magic bullet for everyone.”
There is little in the Pfizer press release to suggest it could be a magic bullet. The data on the effectiveness of the vaccine has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal or analyzed by scientists and outside health officials.
“This is just a press release and the data has yet to be released. Scientists are optimistic but very cautious,” McClure said.
Based on what we know so far, it is not yet clear how effective the vaccine will be, particularly in the early stages. It can help reduce the spread of the infection, but things will not return to normal immediately.
It’s something that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been saying since the pandemic began, including in his interview with Business Insider.
“I said a combination of an effective vaccine Y Adherence to certain public health principles will get us to where we want to be, by the end of 2021, “Fauci told Insider’s Hilary Brueck.” I never said just the vaccine. You should never abandon public health measures. “
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