Pfizer Appears Close to Effective COVID-19 Vaccine

A COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech SE is showing some promising results and that’s great news for the prospect of cruising again! In a study, the vaccine was given to thousands of volunteers and found to be around 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. There is still some more testing to be done, but they expect to have 50 million vaccine doses available in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Trials 

The study looked at vaccinated individuals and those who were given the placebo and the results indicate a vaccine efficacy rate above 90%, at 7 days after the second dose. This means that protection is achieved 28 days after the initiation of the vaccination, which consists of a 2-dose schedule.

The press release noted that as the study continues, the final vaccine efficacy percentage may change. Even if the vaccine were to be distributed on a wide scale, it would still be nearly a month before it does what it’s supposed to do inside the body. That means even with a vaccine, there will still be a period of social distancing, masks etc. 

“Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO. “We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen. With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis. We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks.”

“I want to thank the thousands of people who volunteered to participate in the clinical trial, our academic collaborators and investigators at the study sites, and our colleagues and collaborators around the world who are dedicating their time to this crucial endeavor,” added Bourla. “We could not have come this far without the tremendous commitment of everyone involved.”

Cruise Stock Jumps with the News 

Stock shares of the three major cruising companies exploded this morning with the news that a vaccine could be on the way. Norwegian Cruise Line, which had been trading around the $16 mark last week jumped to nearly $22, 28% increase. Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line saw similar movement which indicates there’s optimism on Wall Street that cruising is close to a full return. 

Would you be willing to get a vaccine with a 90% effectiveness rate? Let us know in the comments!