Small Study Shows Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Triggers Immune Response

reports according to a small study, a COVID-19 vaccine that is the joint work of Pfizer and BioNTech “triggered stronger immune responses in recipients than those seen in people recovering from a natural infection.” In response, “outside scientists praised the company for publishing the data on 45 patients and said the results support moving to a larger clinical trial.” Other companies working on COVID-19 vaccines have not published as complete data, though some are expected to. Inovio Pharmaceuticals “also announced positive results” but in that case as in others “the incomplete data have frustrated scientists trying to evaluate the different approaches.” According to the Pfizer results, “the majority of people given an intermediate dose of the vaccine developed fevers, chills and other low-grade symptoms that lasted a day.” The AP (7/1) reports, “The first of four experimental COVID-19 vaccines being tested by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech showed encouraging results in very early testing of 45 people.” Study participants “had immune responses in the range expected to be protective, when compared to some COVID-19 survivors.” The AP also reports that a “higher-dose shot caused more injection reactions without apparent added benefit.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/07/01/pfizer-reports-encouraging-early-covid-19-vaccine-data/

Coronavirus Cases Jumped By Almost 50% Last Month As States Began To Reopen

eports that coronavirus infections in the US “surged nearly 50 percent in June as states relaxed quarantine rules and tried to reopen their economies, data compiled Wednesday showed, and several states moved to reimpose restrictions on bars and recreation.” More than 800,000 new cases “were reported across the country last month, led by Florida, Arizona, Texas and California – bringing the nation’s officially reported total to just over 2.6 million, according to data compiled by The Washington Post.” States that “took an aggressive approach to reopening led the country in infection spikes – along with California, the nation’s most populous state, where leaders have been more cautious.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/coronavirus-cases-rose-by-nearly-50-percent-last-month-led-by-states-that-reopened-first/2020/07/01/3337f1ec-bb96-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html

FDA Says COVID-19 Vaccine Must Be At Least 50% Effective To Be Approved

reports the US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said that to be approved a COVID-19 vaccine must “prevent disease, or decrease its severity, in at least 50 percent of the people who receive it.” Still, “many people believe a vaccine initially would be made available through a much lower standard for temporary approvals.” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn “said the FDA is committed to expedite a covid-19 vaccine, but ‘will not cut corners in our decision-making.’” Hahn also said that he is “optimistic” that another treatment for covid-19 will be approved by the fall. Politico (6/30, Owermohle) reports that while the FDA’s guidance requires “any vaccine candidate be at least 50 percent more effective than a placebo,” it “also left open the possibility it would issue an emergency use authorization for a vaccine.” The Wall Street Journal (6/30, Burton, Subscription Publication) reports that the FDA said it would not approve a vaccine based on it resulting in antibodies in a patient’s bloodstream. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/30/coronavirus-vaccine-approval-fda/