Dr. Patrick Jackson, professor of UVA Medical Center’s infectious diseases and international health division, said he feels encouraged by Pfizer’s announcement Monday that their vaccine may be 90% effective -- but it’s still too soon to tell.
“It’s very exciting stuff, and I think it points the way towards a way out of the pandemic," said Jackson. “They were only looking at less than 100 cases of COVID-19 to make that estimate of 90% effectiveness. I certainly hope that that holds going forward, but really it’s going to require more data.”
Jackson said vaccines for other diseases inject whole or pieces of viruses into the body to make antibodies.
This vaccine is new technology never before used in humans.
“We’re injecting into the body instructions for making a piece of the virus. The body produces the protein, then produces the antibodies. So, this is really powerful technology,” Jackson added.
It’s powerful technology the FDA says could be used in a preliminary stage, such as for the most vulnerable and frontline workers; but won’t roll out until more results are available later this month.
Jackson said one setback could be the vaccine would need to be stored at minus 80 degrees Celsius.
“There are not a whole lot of freezers out and about in the world that can actually sustain that kind of temperature. We have tons of them in academic research environments, like at UVA for example, but it’s not something that your home pharmacy is going to have just in the back room,” said Jackson.
He said Pfizer’s announcement is a glimmer of hope, in the meantime urges people to double down on wearing masks and obeying social distancing.