Pfizer Inc.’s announcement Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine may be 90 percent effective, based on early and incomplete test results, is “very good, promising news” said Dr. Nikkiah Forbes, director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Bahamas Ministry of Health.
Forbes tempered her optimism by saying the drug company still has “work to do”.
“This is hopeful … this is very hopeful that the vaccine does perform as well as we’ve heard [Monday] in the early release on some data of their COVID-19 vaccine, and that it has promising results – that it looks like it could have up to 90 percent efficacy,” said Forbes when contacted by The Nassau Guardian.
The Pfizer clinical trial reportedly enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the United States and five other countries. Some participants got the vaccine, while others got placebo shots.
“In clinical trials, some people get the vaccine, while others are administered placebos – something that is not the vaccine.
“The scientists don’t know who get the vaccine, and neither do the participants to avoid biases,” she said.
Forbes said that Pfizer, in its early release of information from their clinical trial, found that there were still some people who got COVID, but that when they took a look at the results, 90 percent of people who received the placebo, who had gotten COVID or of those who got COVID, 90 percent received the placebo, and 10 percent of them received the vaccine.
“So, it does seem as if there was some protective effect, so they’re saying it has a 90 percent efficacy; it appears to reduce the chance of getting COVID-19.”
Forbes said the announcement is good for the scientific community as it waits to hear further information.
“This is the fastest time that a vaccine has progressed to this point when you have an outbreak virus.”
Forbes, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States government’s top infectious-disease expert, said that the results suggesting 90 percent effectiveness were “extraordinary.”
Forbes tempered her excitement with the fact that Pfizer is still in the clinical trial.
“They would still have some things to do – they would have to apply for FDA [Federal Drug Administration] approval; they would probably apply for an expedited review, so that it can be reviewed and used – so, this is very good, [but] there’s still some work to do.”
Forbes says the possibility of a vaccine is not imminent.
“It looks promising … so, maybe by the end of the year, or early next year.
“We’re not there yet. This is an early release of some promising information. It’s still in the clinical trial. It’s still going to have to get the safety information released. It doesn’t appear as if there are major adverse effects that have not been reported in the early release of information today. So, there’s still more work to do, and the due diligence has to be done for this vaccine like all vaccines, and so then when it’s available, then we would have to look at how countries would get it.”
An Associated Press report said Pfizer has estimated it could have 50 million vaccine doses available globally by the end of 2020, enough for 25 million people.
Forbes cautions that a vaccine, on the day it is available won’t be a magic bullet with a world population of over seven billion people and having the vaccine dispensed. And as such, looking at equity, accessibility and time for people to get vaccinated, she said meant preventive measures will still have to be undertaken for a while for COVID-19, in-country.
“So, if it is, when the vaccine is available … we don’t expect that to be before the end of the year or maybe very early next year, The Bahamas would have to plan for that too.”
The Bahamas gets its vaccines through the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure The Bahamas is getting drug safety, and to ensure that all the other due diligence is done, according to Forbes.
The doctor noted that as of yesterday, 50 million people worldwide have been lab documented as having COVID-19 and that almost 1.3 million people have died.
In The Bahamas, there are a total of 5,290 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday, November 6, since the first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed on March 15. There have been 152 deaths.
Forbes said a vaccine is important.
“We do know that [COVID-19] has impacted our way of life and movements, and so if there is a vaccine that can work to prevent COVID, or stop people from dying of COVID, that’s something that’s major.”
According to the Associated Press, Pfizer’s vaccine is among four candidates already in huge studies in the United States (US), with still more being tested in other countries.
The AP report states another US company, Moderna Inc., also hopes to file an application with the FDA late this month.
As the trials continue to find a COVID-19 vaccine, Forbes notes that there are people who are cautious about taking a vaccine once it becomes available. But she says vaccinology is an important part of medicine.
She said clinical trials ensure their safety and that there are no major adverse effects by the time they are approved for use, which she said is the case for just about all vaccines.
Forbes said scientists, worldwide, with the desire to have a vaccine against COVID-19, are advocating to make sure that the safety, and all necessary measures, parts of the clinical trial, are done with due diligence.
“I know that the scientific community is ensuring and making sure there is transparency – and that that should happen,” she said.
“But there are persons who do not feel like vaccines are something that they want to have, or there is some sort of skepticism about them – it’s not just this vaccine, there are many other vaccines with persons choosing not to vaccinate their children. We really have to balance that, because there are quite a few vaccine preventable diseases, and we have actually eradicated some vaccine preventable diseases. If you think about it, younger people did not grow up at a time when there was polio that caused paralysis and difficulty walking. Because of the success of the polio vaccine, that’s something that we hardly see anymore – but we are seeing pockets around the world where there can be resurgence of infectious disease because of a decrease in vaccine uptake, including measles. Look at the measles that we were hearing about in pre-COVID times, with large pockets in certain places due to skepticism and reluctance to get the vaccine, and so, I always say we have to balance this and think about the disease we’re preventing.”
Forbes said it will be a major milestone when there is an effective COVID vaccine.
“Today, 50 million people worldwide have been lab documented as having COVID-19, and quite a lot of people have died; yesterday, I think it was up to almost 1.3 million people and so, it’s very important. And we do know that this has impacted our way of life and movements, and so if there is a vaccine that can work to prevent COVID, or stop people from dying of COVID, that’s something that’s major.”
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