Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 among those without evidence of prior infection, hailing the development as “a great day for science and humanity.”
“I think we can see light at the end of the tunnel,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla told CNBC’s Meg Tirrell on “Squawk Box.” “I believe this is likely the most significant medical advance in the last 100 years, if you count the impact this will have in public health, global economy.”
U.S. stock futures skyrocketed as investors cheered the news. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,646 points, implying an opening gain of more than 1,630 points. By late morning, the Dow was up more than 1,000 points, a rise of 3.7%, CNBC reported.
The analysis evaluated 94 confirmed Covid-19 infections among the trial’s 43,538 participants. Pfizer and the U.S. pharmaceutical giant’s German biotech partner said the case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received a placebo indicated a vaccine efficacy rate of above 90% at seven days after the second dose.
It means that protection from Covid-19 is achieved 28 days after the initial vaccination, which consists of a two-dose schedule. The final vaccine efficacy percentage may vary, however, as safety and additional data continue to be collected.
“We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen,” Bourla continued.
The companies said they planned to submit for emergency use authorization to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration soon after they have two months of data, which is currently on track for the third week of November.
Based on current projections, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. The vaccine requires two doses per person. Though the companies didn’t take any money from the federal government for research and development for the drug, they reached a nearly $2 billion agreement in July to supply 100 million doses to the U.S. government as part of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed. That money is helping with manufacturing and distribution.
Trump says he's fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper
As many had expected, President Donald Trump on Monday said, in a tweet, that he had fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
"I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be Acting Secretary of Defense, effective immediately.. ...Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service," Trump tweeted.
The move comes two days after Trump lost reelection and when he was expected to purge top members of his administration with whom he had long been unhappy.
Vietnam News Today (Feb. 9): Top legislator extends Tet greetings to public security force of Nghe An; Top legislator extends Tet greetings to Hanoi Party Organisation, administration, and people; Party leader’s writing energizes efforts towards prosperous, civilized nation target; Vietnamese Ambassador presents credentials to UNESCO Director-General; Vietnam underscores peace and stability prerequisite for global challenges...
Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture wishes to welcome more Vietnamese businesses that come to operate in the locality, Fukuoka’s Governor Hattori Seitaro told Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang.
With almost half a million followers on TikTok, more than 400 thousands YouTube subscribers, Russian content creator Nikita Kostritsov of the Hello Nikki channel is famous for doing food review videos and comedy skits about his life in Vietnam. Hundred million online viewers enjoyed watching Nikita, together with his Vietnamese wife, reacting to typical moments in life through the perspective of a foreigner.
World breaking news today (June 16): Joe Biden issues a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, social media says happy birthday to Donald Trump, China sends record 28 fighter jets toward Taiwan and gold price also make headlines today.
On March 21, the United Nations General Assembly (UN General Assembly) passed a resolution declaring 2025 as the "Year Of International Peace And Trust".
The international community condemned the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall, a Russian suburb of Moscow on the evening of March 22.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishaknar’s recent visit to Japan offered an opportunity to review the current state of India-Japan cooperation on various projects, and how to upgrade their ‘special strategic partnership’, which recently entered its 10th year.
India and Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of Law and Dispute Resolution on Thursday.
Bhutan’s Prime Minister, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, arrived in the national capital on a five-day official visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Vietnam is always ready to cooperate closely with nations and partners for gender equality, said the Vice State President at a session of the UN Economic and Social Council in New York, the USA.
"Only a Two-State solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace. India is committed to support a Two-State solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders, with due regard to the security needs of Israel," Kamboj said.
The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat (ADMM-Retreat) recently was organized under the chair of General Chansamone Chanyalath, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence of Laos.