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Public health officials have been cautious about news that a vaccine being developed by Pfizer could be more than 90% effective, while airline and hotel stocks soared at the announcement.
Members of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) described the pharmaceutical giant’s announcement, based on limited data from phase 3 trials, as a “good first step,” but said they hoped more detailed information would be released.
Based on its population share, Ireland is ready to receive more than two million doses of the vaccine, if approved, under the terms of a collective supply agreement the EU is negotiating with Pfizer. A portion of these doses could be available later this year if, ultimately, regulatory bodies grant an emergency clearance.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan said officials needed to see reliable data available to regulators and published in the scientific literature. “We are hopeful, but this is certainly not a time to celebrate,” he said, adding that people should stick to basic public health measures.
Distribution of supplies
Once a vaccine is available and its efficacy and safety are known, Ireland will be able to organize the distribution of supplies as part of joint procurement agreements with the EU, he said.
Dr. Holohan said there has been a lot of “anticipatory planning work” done behind the scenes before the arrival of a vaccine and “when the time is right, we will work out the details.”
“It is certainly positive. Over 90% effective, if that is true in the real world, it will be a very good start, ”Dr. Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said in a Nphet briefing.
He noted that the Pfizer vaccine poses a number of delivery challenges, as two doses are required and the doses must be kept at extremely low temperatures.
Nphet reported one more death last night, along with 270 new cases, the lowest daily figure since late September.
Ministers are likely to discuss Ireland’s current Covid-19 restrictions in the cabinet this morning, as a memo on the new European traffic light system is among the items on the agenda, the sources said.
Travel restrictions
Among the main decisions the government must make in the coming weeks is the level of travel restrictions in place for Christmas, when several hundred thousand people would normally arrive in Ireland during the holidays.
More generally, there are intense discussions in the government about reopening after the shutdown ends in early December.
The new vaccine is expected to be sent to authorities for emergency approval in the third week of November.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said yesterday that she would sign “soon” a contract with Pfizer for up to 300 million doses.
Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institutes of Health, described the 90 percent effectiveness as “simply extraordinary,” but US President-elect Joe Biden urged caution, emphasizing that the The end of the battle against Covid-19 was “still months away.” ”.
First formal review
The details released by Pfizer come from the first formal review of the data by an external panel of experts. Of the 43,000 trial participants, the first 94 to become infected allowed independent evaluators to calculate efficacy after two doses.
The announcement by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech caused large increases in the value of stocks in sectors that have been depressed during the pandemic. On the Irish stock market, Ryanair shares rose 14 percent, while Dalata, the state’s largest hotel group, ended the day more than 30 percent ahead. “This is good news for the world and it will give a great boost. There is a lot of pent-up demand, particularly in our industry, ”said Pat McCann, Dalata CEO.
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