Jerusalem The first dose of Pfizer vaccination is 85% effective against coronavirus infection between two and four weeks after vaccination, according to a study published in the medical journal Lancet. The pharmaceutical giant and its German partner BioNTech, meanwhile, have told the US Food and Drug Administration that their vaccine can be stored safely at standard freezer temperatures, which, if approved by the FDA, could help facilitate faster distribution through the need to deny duration. deep freeze storage.
The Israeli survey was conducted on health workers at the largest hospital in the country, which launched a mass vaccination campaign on December 19, which is considered the fastest in the world.
Israeli studies have found that the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective a week after a second jab, while the Lancet report focused on more than 9,000 medical staff at Sheba Hospital near Tel Aviv. About 7,000 of them received the first dose and the rest were not vaccinated.
Of the group, 170 were diagnosed with COVID-19 after tests were performed only on those who showed symptoms or who were in contact with coronavirus carriers. Fifty-two percent of it was found not to be vaccinated. Compared to the two groups, the Sheba study calculated that the vaccine was 47% effective between one and 14 days after vaccination, and increased to 85% after 15 to 28 days.
“What we are seeing is a very high effectiveness, already after two weeks, between two weeks and four weeks after vaccination. It is already a high efficiency of 85% reduction of symptomatic infection,” said Gili Regev-Yochay, co-author of the study, told a report. small group of journalists.
He said that despite the fact that the vaccine is ‘surprisingly effective’, scientists are still investigating whether people who have been fully vaccinated can transmit the virus to others.
“That’s the big, big question. We’re working on it. It does not appear on this paper and I hope we will have good news soon,” Regev-Yochay said.
The Oxford University / AstraZeneca shot developed in the UK has so far shown its effectiveness in preventing asymptomatic infection. can also help limit transfer.
Pfizer says freezing is unnecessary
Pfizer and BioNTech announced their submission of research data on storage temperatures to the FDA in a joint statement on Friday.
The FDA’s emergency permit for the vaccine, issued months ago, stipulates that it must be stored at temperatures below zero (-112oF to -76oF), which require special equipment for transport and storage at healthcare facilities. Under the companies’ new recommendation, the vaccine can be stored for up to two weeks at standard freezer temperatures of -13 ° F to 5 ° F, “as an alternative or as a supplement to storage in an ultra-low temperature freezer.”
“We are constantly conducting stability studies to support the commercial production of the vaccine, with the aim of making the vaccine as accessible as possible to healthcare providers and people across the US and around the world,” said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, said in the Friday statement announcing the FDA’s request to change its guidelines. “We appreciate our continued collaboration with the FDA and CDC as we work to ensure that our vaccine can be shipped and stored under increasingly flexible conditions. If approved, this new storage option offers pharmacies and vaccination centers greater flexibility in handling their vaccine supply. “
“The information provided can facilitate the handling of our vaccine in pharmacies and give the vaccination centers greater flexibility,” added Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech. “We will continue to leverage our expertise to develop potential new formulations that will make our vaccine even easier to transport and use.”
The other vaccine approved for use by Moderna and already distributed in the US also requires the freezer and transport under the FDA’s usage guidelines. The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine only requires refrigeration at standard temperatures, making it much easier to move around and store, but the shot has not yet received the green light for use in the US.