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.
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.
World breaking news today (June 15): French company speaks out about the risk of radiation leakage in China. Meanwhile, Joe Biden was corrected by Boris Johnson at G7 summit, Stoltenberg says China poses security challenges and gold price also make headlines today.
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from India participated at the 54th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council informing the world about the country’s efforts towards women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Calling for Security Council reforms, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong backed India and Japan to be made permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has welcomed the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in India, which will reserve one-third of seats in the country’s Parliament and state assemblies for women.
At the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI 16) closing conference on September 23, Ministers adopted the "AMRI Vision Statement ASEAN 2035: Towards a Transformative, Adaptive, and Resilient Information and Communications Industry"".
Top mainland Chinese property developers recorded close to $3 billion in foreign exchange losses, mainly on their U.S.-dollar borrowings during the first half of the year as the yuan dropped further against the greenback, adding pressure to their struggle to secure cash to service mounting debts.