Tomorrow the FDA will consider emergency use approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The report that the agency will be basing its decision upon can be found here.
The graph was produced from the report. Before I go further, let me thank Tyler Cowen’s Marginal Revolution for bringing this to the forefront. This blog remains one of our nation’s best.
In the analysis of the data, the efficacy of the initial dose is upwards of 88%. The blue line reflects COVID-19 infections in the vaccine arm; the continuously rising red that of the placebo. But as researchers write, the rapid onset of protection means that “this is potentially important as we could vaccinate more people in a hot-spot and potentially delay the second dose.” Could it be that an end is coming into view?
Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA
Director of Medicine
Charles Dinerstein, MD, MBA, is the Medical Director of the American Council on Science and Health. A vascular surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical experience, he brings a physician's understanding of medical decision-making, an appreciation for scientific uncertainty, and a broader perspective on healthcare economics and policy to his writing.
