The drug maker Pfizer and its partner company BioNTech injected a glimmer of hope into the search for a COVID-19 vaccine when it announced Monday that it has developed an inoculation that is 90 percent effective in preventing the coronavirus.
While the stock market surged in the wake of the news, many experts, including Harrisburg University Professor Dr. Erik Hefti, urged for cautious optimism as more analysis and work must be completed before the drug could be made available to the world.
In a MedCity News article published Monday, Hefti said, “While the efficacy is far higher than most expected, we still should approach the news with some caution until further analysis is complete and the results are seen in the total study population and analysis of all safety data is complete.”
Hefti, who heads HU’s Pharmaceutical Sciences Program also noted that there are logistical challenges ahead for the distribution of the vaccine. The vaccine must be delivered by two injections and it must be stored at extremely low temperatures, he said.
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About Harrisburg University
Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Harrisburg University is a private non-profit university offering bachelor and graduate degree programs in science, technology, and math fields to a diverse student body. For more information on the University’s affordable demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, call 717.901.5146 or email, Connect@HarrisburgU.edu.
