Dr. Fauci says Pfizer's reported vaccine 90% efficacy rate is 'extraordinary'

fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on June 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. Top federal health officials discussed efforts for safely getting back to work and school during the coronavirus pandemic. Al Drago – Pool/Getty Images
  • Pharmaceutical company Pfizer said on Monday its vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective in a successful final stage of clinical trials.

  • Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, called the reported efficacy rate “extraordinary.”

  • While Monday’s result signals a step forward, the vaccine must be approved and widely distributed to the public for life to return to normalcy.

The nation’s leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed enthusiasm for the news that Pfizer’s vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective.

Fauci said the reported 90% efficacy of Pfizer’s vaccine was “extraordinary,” speaking at a Monday morning press briefing reported by media outlets including the Associated Press. He added this will “have a major impact on everything we do with respect to COVID.”

Fauci also added that these results may indicate that a vaccine developed by Moderna also may have positive results since the two incorporate the same technology, according to reports including Bloomberg and The Washington Post.

On Monday, pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced its experimental coronavirus vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective in its final stage of clinical trials.

While this high efficacy rate shows much optimism for a safe and effective vaccine, the road to normalcy is still afar.

Pfizer said it is awaiting more data to reach the “required safety milestone” before applying for emergency approval which they say they will likely happen later this month.

Even after it is approved, it will take some time until the vaccine is widely available to the public, so people should expect to keep wearing masks and socially distance until enough people are immune to the disease.

President-elect Joe Biden congratulated the development but noted “it will be many more months before there is widespread vaccination in this country.”

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source: yahoo.com