Monday’s announcement that a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine had shown 90% effectiveness was applauded by many, adding Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who praised “very smart and counterfeit trials. “
But there are still steps to take before the vaccine, which partially evolved in Connecticut, becomes available to the public, and there are additional steps before it becomes widely available.
Here are some of the key questions that still surround the vaccine and early attempts through Pfizer and state officials to address them.
Vaccines will most likely be available until the end of the year, provided they meet protection criteria and obtain proper approvals from the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. John Burkhardt, Senior Vice President of Safety Research and Development, Medicines at Pfizer and Groton Director of Laboratories. site, said at the press conference on Monday.
Now that the effectiveness of the vaccine is known, Burkhardt said protection data will be obtained in a few weeks.
Once this knowledge is available, Pfizer will advance you to the FDA and request access in the event of an emergency. Burkhardt said the procedure sometimes had a “quick response time” and would probably be finished in “weeks that months. “
By the end of this year, it is possible that between five and five million doses may be obtained in the United States, Burkhardt said.
Since the user receiving the vaccine receives two doses, with an interval of approximately 3 weeks, it would mean that the doses would serve between 2. 5 million and 25 million people.
Much depends on the amount of doses taken across the country. Lamont has stated in the afterlife that Connecticut receives 1% of the allocation of vaccines in the United States.
So, if you’re going to get 50 million doses across the country, that would mean 500,000 in Connecticut, or enough for 250,000 people.
This is unknown,” Burkhardt said, “We stick to science,” he says. “We don’t know the answer to that question. “
He said that to get a broader concept of how long the vaccine will last, Pfizer will include patients in the trial for two years “with an emphasis on safety. “
Once a vaccine becomes available, it would be a priority for “health workers, frontline staff, the elderly, high-risk people, who have comorities, nursing homes and other spaces that can be considered hot spots,” he said. Dr. Reginald Eadie, President and CEO of Trinity Health of New England and co-chair of the Lamont Vaccine Advisory Group.
Although it is known exactly when it will happen, Burkhardt said, once the FDA grants approval for the emergency use of the vaccine, Pfizer will apply for a biological license, which would allow production. expand the vaccine, with the purpose of: generating a billion doses or more until the end of next year.
Pfizer is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in New York City, but with offices and laboratories around the world. Its largest and most progressive center is in Connecticut.
Burkhardt said groton’s facility played a key role in vaccine development, adding that he led early animal trials for drug safety, among other tasks.
Pfizer has been working with The German pharmaceutical company BioNTech on this vaccine.
Includes reports via Alexander Soule.
Although growing up in Michigan, Amanda Cuda is originally from Connecticut and moved here some time after graduating from Michigan State University. She has worked for the Connecticut Post in positions, adding city journalist, news editor, television columnist and fitness editor. she is a married mother of twins who enjoys reading, watching television and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.