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The companies behind the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine claim it prevented 90 percent of people getting COVID-19 in the late stages of vaccine trials. More than 43,000 volunteers participated in the vaccine trial, and candidates either received two doses of the vaccine or a placebo.
Of those participating in the trial, 94 people tested positive for coronavirus.
But upon closer analysis, fewer than 10 percent of the people infected with COVID-19 had been given the vaccine, and more than 90 percent of cases were confirmed among people given the placebo.
The recent developments with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been met with cautious optimism from the scientific community.
Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the news “cleared one significant hurdle”.
However, he added it was still “very, very early days”, and said the nation cannot “slacken our resolve” at such a “critical moment”.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses to be administered, ideally 21 days apart.
The vaccine is an RNA vaccine, which is different from previous forms of vaccines which use weakened or inactive viruses to trigger an immune response.
RNA vaccines use a small fragment of the virus’ genetic code, which once injected starts making part of the virus in the body, prompting the immune system to recognise it as foreign and attack.
When will we get a coronavirus vaccine?
With news of a potentially effective coronavirus vaccine recently announced, the Government has not set a date for when a vaccine will be rolled out in the UK.
According to reports, the first coronavirus vaccines could be administered before Christmas.
Professor Johnathan Van-Tam, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, told the Downing Street press conference he was “hopeful” the first coronavirus vaccine could be seen by Christmas.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it would be a “colossal” challenge to roll-out the vaccine, but added the military were available to help with the effort.
Mr Hancock told Radio 4: “My central expectation is that the mass rollout of this vaccine, if it comes good, will be in the first part of next year.”
Although there has been good news about vaccine development in recent weeks, the NHS will likely face challenges distributing a vaccine on such a wide scale.
However, NHS England’s Medical Director said at a Downing Street press conference he was confident the NHS will cope with the challenge.
Professor Stephen Powis said: “We are working incredibly hard and I am confident that the NHS will be up to what will be a huge logistical challenge.”
He added: “We have for flu every year, we will be able to do it for covid.”
The UK has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine so far.
The UK’s preliminary priority list for the vaccine lists elderly care home residents and care home staff as the first who would receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Health workers and hospital staff would then receive the vaccine, followed by people over the age of 80.
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