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While Pfizer’s recent announcement of a more than 90 percent effective coronavirus vaccine candidate raised hope for many, an Alabama official joins those warning of the excitement.
“Even though we find out, say three to four weeks, that the Pfizer vaccine continues to look good, they continue to analyze the data and … they continue to show safety in the months following the vaccine,” how many people do you think they are ready to vaccinate by the end of the year? Dr Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital (UAB), said during a recent briefing.
“Turns out that only goes for 10-15 million people around the world, so it’s a little drop in the bucket, which is one of the reasons I think we need to keep our hats on. the excitement around the vaccine. “
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Pfizer has said it hopes to produce up to 50 million doses by the end of this year – pending approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – and up to 1.3 billion in 2021. After authorization, the vaccine will be administered in two doses.
While the vaccine news from Pfizer offers a “silver lining,” people have yet to follow public health measures and take care of themselves and communities in the meantime, an expert said. (iStock)
Marrazzo’s comments came shortly before those of Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease specialist, who said: “I think the message I’m giving now since it became clear ago few days that we have a very effective vaccine getting ready to be deployed is rather than ‘hey don’t worry you are fine’ it is’ keep firing the cavalry is coming but don’t put down your guns, you better keep fighting because they’re not here yet.
“Help is on the way, but it hasn’t arrived yet,” Fauci continued.
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In a recent call with reporters, US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar said officials had “guaranteed access to 100 million doses, purchased for $ 1.95 billion , and an option for 500 million more “.
“Pending FDA clearance, as Pfizer said, distribution for the United States has started increases of approximately 20 million doses per month, potentially from late November,” he said. added Azar.
Marrazzo said Pfizer’s findings have the potential to be “huge,” but said the initial supply of doses will not be enough to immunize all people at high risk of complications or healthcare workers.
“Let’s pretend we don’t have a vaccine right now,” she continued. “Just think of it as a ray of hope, a ray of light, it’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but in the meantime we have to go through what these current numbers are definitely predicting … maybe a surge, even worse after the holidays. “
Marrazzo called the news from Pfizer a “promising development,” but that it should not change anyone’s behavior about taking care of themselves or their community in the meantime.
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Other experts have made similar comments.
“That doesn’t mean a ton of changes in the timeline of things,” Dr. Katie Passaretti, medical director of infection prevention at Carolinas Medical Center at Atrium Health previously told Fox News, adding that it doesn’t change either. plus the landscape of the many other vaccine candidates currently in development.
“There is a lot to know about the vaccine – but at least this item (over 90% effectiveness) is very important which certainly looks promising,” Passaretti said.
Marrazzo’s comments come as Alabama has seen an increase in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The state reported 1,210 hospital patients on Wednesday – up from 1,174 on Monday. Marrazzo said the state’s seven-day daily case average was 1,416, which is a 13% increase over the past seven days. The total number of reported cases in Alabama is 206,000, with more than 3,100 deaths.
Marrazzo’s comments come as Alabama has seen an increase in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. (iStock)
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“An interesting thing about the condition, I think it’s remarkable, is that these numbers occur even in the context of what most of us would say are sub-optimal tests,” Marrazzo said. , adding that the state averages only about 7,000 tests per day, a number it would like to see exceed 10,000.
Inadequate testing in Alabama is a complicated problem, she said, theorizing that despite the best efforts of health officials, people may not know where to get tested, and asymptomatic cases may not. ask for testing and not all tests – such as antigen tests – are reported to the state health department.
Alexandria Hein, Chris Ciaccia and Madeline Farber of Fox News contributed to this report.
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