Why the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is no cure for all coronavirus ills
- Amid the excitement, questions remain over virus mutations, people refusing to take it and the problem of storing it at -80 degrees
- In short, given the general public may face a wait of up to year before getting a shot, it’s worth thinking twice before booking that plane ticket
Before the vaccine is approved for use by health authorities around the world, it will have to meet certain safety requirements that vary by jurisdiction.
Pfizer has said it expects to reach this by the third week of November, and has reported no serious adverse reactions in the nearly 40,000 trial participants who have received two doses of the vaccine.
The US multinational believes it can produce 50 million vaccine doses this year and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.
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Pfizer coronavirus vaccine more than 90 per cent effective, US drug maker says
Ian Frazer, a professor at the University of Queensland who co-invented the human papillomavirus vaccine, said there was still a “small risk of unexpected safety issues” and that some people might refuse to take it.