As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, with the United States recently reaching a peak of more than 120,000 new cases in a single day, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon this week. Pfizer announced that early data from its coronavirus vaccine clinical trial shows that the vaccine is at least 90 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19 infections.
But while that certainly places Pfizer squarely in the lead amidst the race to develop COVID-19 vaccines, its trial is not yet completed and the scientific data was not released alongside the announcement about its vaccine's projected efficacy.
The Brink asked two experts at Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) for their take on the news, and what it means for curbing the pandemic. According to coronavirus researchers John Connor, a NEIDL virologist, and Florian Douam, a NEIDL microbiologist, even the promise of Pfizer's vaccine doesn't mean a quick fix to the pandemic is around the corner.
