Pfizer and BioNTech had initially estimated the vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective after 94 infections had been counted in a study that included 44,000 people. The companies have not yet released detailed data on its study, and results have not been analyzed by independent experts. Earlier this week Moderna, Inc. announced that its experimental vaccine appears to be 94.5 per cent effective after an interim analysis of its late-stage study. Pfizer and BioNTech also say now have the required data on the vaccine's safety needed to seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer and BioNTech said they expect to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 18, 2020 17:37 UTC