LONDON Giving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, but only if certain conditions are met, a predictive modeling study showed. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, there is debate over whether to extend the gap between doses to give as many people as possible some protection, or stick to the intervals designated in clinical trials. For example, Pfizer has said there is no clinical evidence to support Britain s decision to extend the gap between doses of its vaccine to 12 weeks, but data from the rollout in England shows protection against death of around 80% from one dose, with a 70% decline in infections.
LONDON (Reuters) - Giving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of.
LONDON Giving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, but…
Pfizer s Covid-preventing pill could be available by the end of the year if human trials in the US and Belgium are successful.
There are currently no drugs other than vaccines that can stop people developing Covid-19 – but if one is discovered it could spell the end of lockdowns forever, one expert has said.
Pfizer, the company that made one of the most-used jabs in Europe and North America, is already testing its experimental pill on people.
The antiviral drug, named PF-07321332, could be given to stop the illness getting severe in people who have started showing signs of coronavirus infection.
They will then be able to understand what kind of immune responses protect against re-infection.
They will also measure the immune response at several time points after infection to understand what immune response is generated by the virus.
“A challenge study allows us to make these measurements very precisely because we know exactly when someone is infected. The information from this work will allow us to design better vaccines and treatments, and also to understand if people are protected after having Covid, and for how long,” said McShane, adding that it would also help with designing tests that can more accurately predict whether people are protected.