Corona Vaccine … What does it mean to be 95 percent effective?

In the race for laboratories and pharmaceutical companies to find effective and safe vaccines against the emerging corona virus, Pfizer and Moderna announced that their vaccines have been shown to be 95 percent effective against the emerging corona virus.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had said in recent months that any Corona vaccine must be licensed at least 50 percent effective.

In principle, 95 percent effectiveness, if confirmed, would make the vaccine the most effective in the world like the measles vaccine and more effective than the influenza vaccine, which is 60 percent effective. hundred maximum.

But what do we mean by the efficacy of the vaccine? Does this mean that it is able to protect 95 out of 100 people? Or do you have another explanation related to its effectiveness in the human body?

The effectiveness of the vaccine.
According to a report published by the Associated Press, the effectiveness of a vaccine means the likelihood of success and protection for humans.

Scientists differentiate a vaccine between “effectiveness” and “efficacy.”

According to a study published by the World Health Organization, the efficacy of the vaccine indicates the percentage reduction of the disease in a healthy group, compared to an unhealthy group under normal conditions according to the results in the laboratory, and its effectiveness means your ability to achieve real-world results after testing in humans.

Early results from these vaccines give strong indications that the vaccine can prevent most diseases when given to large groups of people.

Public health officials in the United States expected the Corona vaccine to be at least 50 percent effective, especially after flu vaccines were shown to be effective at rates ranging from 20 to 60 percent.

Despite these numbers that provided a dose of hope to the world in the ability of scientists to tame Corona, the effectiveness rate does not tell the full story, you need to know the results of its effectiveness in relation to age groups, demographics and ethnicities.

And the Associated Press report indicates that both vaccines did not know the result of whether or not the person who was vaccinated with the vaccine would develop Corona infection, and would they have symptoms? Or even if it will continue to carry the virus?

Flu vaccines
The effectiveness of flu vaccines varies from type to type, which have been shown to be 40 to 60 percent effective, depending on the seasons and the extent to which flu viruses are spread, according to the Center for Disease Control and Control (CDC).

Influenza vaccines work better against type B than they do and provide less protection against influenza A viruses like H1N1 or H3N3.

Influencing factors
According to the “CDC”, several factors affect the effectiveness of the vaccine, the most prominent are: the characteristics of the person vaccinated, such as their age, health status, surrounding environment and the degree of compatibility of the virus with the vaccine.

Even in light of the effectiveness of the vaccine at levels that do not exceed 60 percent as is the case with influenza, it is still important, especially if the “burden of disease” is calculated, which is usually done through models and equations that include the number of cases of infection and the number of those who recover from it. And the number of hospital admissions and deaths.