Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their vaccine confers immunity for at least six months and protects against the South African strain

Pfizer and BioNTech reported this Thursday that its coronavirus vaccine is about 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 disease for up to six months after inoculation of people.

The vaccine was also found to be 100% effective in preventing disease in trial participants in South Africa, where a new variant called B1351 predominates, although the number of volunteers is relatively small, with 800.

Yes OK the new overall efficacy rate of 91.3% is lower than the 95% initially reported in November following its trial on 44,000 people, different variants have appeared in the world since then.

The CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, said the updated results, which include data on more than 12,000 people fully vaccinated for at least six months, allows drug manufacturers to seek full regulatory approval in the United States. Currently, the vaccine is authorized in an emergency by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The high efficacy of the vaccine observed up to six months after a second dose and against the variant prevalent in South Africa gives greater confidence in the overall efficacy of our vaccine.”Bourla added.

Test data “To provide the first clinical results that a vaccine can effectively protect against the variants currently in circulation, a key factor in achieving herd immunity and ending this pandemic for the global population”, manifested Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, in a statement. .

Experts fear the new coronavirus variants from South Africa and Brazil may be resistant to existing vaccines and treatments. More than 300 cases of the South African variant have been detected in more than 25 states and jurisdictions in the United States, according to official data collected by the American media. CNBC.

The vaccine was 100% effective in preventing serious illness as defined by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 95.3% according to the FDA.

No serious safety concerns were observed among trial participants for up to six months after the second dose, the companies said.

They added that in general it was also effective regardless of age, race, gender or ethnicity, and among participants with various health conditions existing.

The trial examined more than 900 confirmed cases of COVID-19, most of whom were among the participants who received a placebo.

The publication of the updated results takes place immediately after demonstrating that the vaccine is safe and effective in children 12 to 15 years old, paving the way for drugmakers to pursue authorization in the United States and Europe to use the inoculant in this group old in a few weeks.

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