On the other hand, BioNTech co-founder and CEO Prof. Ugur Sahin said, “The first interim analysis of our global Phase 3 study provides evidence that a vaccine may effectively prevent COVID-19. This is a victory for innovation, science and a global collaborative effort…We will continue to collect further data as the trial continues to enroll for a final analysis planned when a total of 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases have accrued.”
While the preliminary data on the vaccine’s effectiveness looks promising, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must declare it to be ‘safe’ for mass consumption. Before approving a COVID-19 vaccine, the FDA requires safety outcomes for two months for half of the participants.
Pfizer and BioNTech to initially produce 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine
BioNTech and Pfizer have confirmed that they will produce the COVID-19 vaccine this year, but only in limited numbers. Both companies estimate they will be able to produce up to 50 million doses globally with the majority of them going to frontline workers particularly healthcare professionals and first responders.
