A new study showed that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is 90 percent effective for at least six months and protects against the South African variant. Recent research emerged that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 90 percent effective for at least six months. It is the result of the study after the second dose, which was participated by over 46,000 persons in the clinical trial, in a published report in the USA Today.
Effectivity of Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine
According to the recently published results, there were no significant safety issues among the 12,000 volunteers who were at least six months into their second dose. However, many people experienced common short-term side effects, including nausea and sore arms.
Yahoo News reported that the data is enough for Pfizer-BioNTech to get full authorization from the U.S. FDA. Pfizer and two other vaccines are still under emergency use authorization (EUA).
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Pfizer is Effective Against the South African Variant
The new study also found out that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the South African variant, according to Spectrum News. This new variant is also called B.1.351 and was first detected in South Africa, and is said to be the main source of the spike of new COVID-19 cases.
This data from the leading pharmaceutical company now gives them the advantage to get the full authorization. This is enough or sufficient and has already met the standards set by the U.S. FDA in getting full approval, just like other vaccines for other diseases.
Around 800 study participants were from South Africa, and nine of them, all in the placebo community, got infected with COVID-19. The companies sequenced all nine infected people's genomes and discovered that six were B.1.351 variations.
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Emergency Use Authorization and Full Authorization
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been administered in the country nearly 77 million times and is expected to apply for full authorization anytime this month to the U.S. FDA.
Pfizer-BioNTech needs to get full licensure rather than emergency use authorization alone. Once the U.S. FDA grants them the full authorization, this will provide the company security that it will not expire anytime.
Jacob Sherkow, a law professor at the College of Law at the University of Illinois, said that the emergency use authorization is temporary. This means that the EUA can be terminated anytime with or without reason. He also added that EUA would also expire once the emergency is over.
Meanwhile, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that the data showing their vaccine's efficacy and safety profile gives them the advantage to submit a Biologics License Application. Typically, this license provides the company 12 years of exclusivity of its product.
The Pfizer-BioNTech also announced Wednesday that they would ask the U.S. FDA to provide their vaccine to adolescents whose age is between 12-15 after discovering new data that it is safe for younger adults.
