'As good as it gets': Fauci hails Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine result as 'truly outstanding'

After Moderna Inc announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is 94.5% effective against the novel coronavirus based on preliminary data, US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci called it “exciting results”. While Moderna heard its results on a call on November 16 along with the members of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board which is an independent panel analyzing the company’s clinical trial data, as per CNN report, Fauci said that “It's just as good as it gets -- 94.5% is truly outstanding.”

Moderna Inc, the American pharmaceutical company has informed that it plans on submitting its COVID-19 vaccine candidate for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) with the United States' Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The analysis released by Moderna which has reported 94.5% efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine was based on results of more than 30,000 participants in the US. 

Hailing the progress in vaccine development, US top infectious disease expert and the member of the coronavirus task force said that vaccinations could begin in the second half of December. As per reports, especially in the United States, the vaccinations are expected to start off with high-risk or vulnerable groups and for the rest of the population, it will be available by 2021 spring. Moderna’s chief medical officer, Dr Tal Zacks, also welcomed the achievements as “one of the greatest moments” of his life. He reportedly said, “It is absolutely amazing to be able to develop this vaccine and see the ability to prevent symptomatic disease with such high efficacy.”

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Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 90% effective

Not only Moderna, even American pharmaceutical company Pfizer said on November 9 that the interim analysis of its vaccine produced along with German partner BioNTech group has shown promising results, meaning it is on track to file an emergency use application with American regulators as early as later this month. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown more than 90 per cent efficacy in preventing coronavirus and now the two companies are working to distribute the experimental drug. 

However, the November 9 announcement does not imply that the mRNA-based vaccine called BNT162b2, is imminent. The results are based on the interim analysis which considered at least 94 infections in a study that had enrolled at least 44,000 people in six nations including the United States with fewer than nine of them who caught the disease were also given the dose.

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