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Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates expressed optimism about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines made by various drug makers in an interview with CNN on Sunday.
What happened: The billionaire told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that although vaccines from Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA) have already shown their effectiveness against COVID-19 in early data, he expects similar results from AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE: AZN), Johnson & johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Novavax, Inc (NASDAQ: NVAX) vaccines.
“I am optimistic that by February it is very likely that they will all prove to be very effective and safe,” Gates said.
The tech billionaire expects the vaccine to “start cutting the numbers” in the spring.
Why is this important: Pfizer’s vaccine is 95% effective in preventing COVID-19, while Moderna Inc said its vaccine has the same effectiveness.
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) filed for emergency use authorization on Friday.
The vaccine made by the duo could be available to high-risk populations in the United States by the middle or end of December.
Moderna is also expected to file an EUA application shortly and has published its interim phase 3 results.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been shown to elicit similar immune responses in young and elderly patients, according to the results of a phase two trial.
Seniors and people with pre-existing conditions are most at risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19, according to phase two study co-author Dr Maheshi Ramasamy.
The Gates Foundation has supported the development of a vaccine against COVID-19 and has said its main goal is to fight the pandemic.
Price action: Pfizer shares closed 1.41% higher at $ 36.70 on Friday, Moderna shares closed 5.22% higher at $ 97.61, AstraZeneca shares closed higher 2.35% at 55 . $ 30, Novavax shares closed up 0.17% at $ 86.55 and Johnson & Johnson shares closed down 0.53% at $ 146.36.
Photo courtesy: UK Department for International Development via Flickr
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