TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time.
More information:
STUDY DESIGN:
Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response.
FINDINGS:
(1) Safety:
Minimal presence of serious side-effects but high presence of less-serious issues (e.g. fever), especially at higher doses of the vaccine candidate.
(2) Immune system response:
Short-term immune system reaction (a good thing!), stronger than that found in the blood of COVID survivors.
INTERPRETATION:
Pfizer’s candidate has cleared the first of a long series of stepping stones on the vaccine development path. [Nerdy Girl editorial note: There’s a reason why we scientists stick with the term “candidate” at this early stage in the game!]
WHAT’S NEXT:
Larger, longer-term studies testing the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing COVID infection. Stay tuned: Launch later this summer!
For further reading:
