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/