[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: A recent study suggesting that Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is 85% effective after a single dose could be a “game changer” for the vaccine launch in Malaysia, says Khairy Jamaluddin (Photo).
“(This is) a development that the Special Committee on Access to the Supply of Covid-19 Vaccines (JKJAV) will follow closely,” tweeted the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.
“Some countries have extended the interval between two doses to cover more people.
“If the Pfizer vaccine offers good efficacy after a single dose, this could be a game changer at the launch of the vaccine,” he said in a tweet on Saturday (February 20), posting an article on the new findings.
The study, published in The lancet February 18 medical journal, found that more than 7,000 healthcare workers at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel had an 85% reduction rate of symptomatic Covid-19 infections from 15 to 28 days after the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The reduction rate was 75% for general infections, which included asymptomatic cases, 15 to 28 days after the first dose.
Reuters reported that Pfizer, in an emailed statement, said it was seeking real-world data from Israel and elsewhere to understand the impact of its Covid-19 vaccine arising from emerging variants.
Canadian researchers have also suggested that the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine could be delayed, given the high level of protection obtained with the first injection, to increase the number of people who get vaccinated.
Khairy also tweeted an article in which Pfizer had applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to store its Covid-19 vaccine for two weeks at temperatures most commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators. .
“Another interesting development of the Pfizer vaccine. This can facilitate the distribution of the cold chain.
“Good news for our immunization program, as Pfizer makes up a substantial part of our vaccine portfolio (50% of the population),” he said in a separate tweet.
Previously, there was concern about the requirement that Pfizer vaccines be stored at temperatures between -80 ° C and -60 ° C.
The company has now submitted data to the US FDA showing that the vaccine is stable between -25 ° C and -15 ° C for up to two weeks.
[ad_2]
