UK to have 10m doses of Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine by end-2020, if approved
By Alexander Bueso
Date: Tuesday 10 Nov 2020
(Sharecast News) - Britain will have 10m doses of the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech by the end of 2020.
According to the Prime Minister's spokesman, the government has orders 40m doses of the vaccine, which has yet to be approved by regulators.
That would suffice to inoculate 20m Britons as the vaccine requires a double shot.
Nonetheless, as analysts at Danske Bank pointed out, that is offset by the fact that it appears to have an efficacy rate of greater than 90%, versus the 40-60% typically seen in flu shots, which require just one dose.
In a research note sent to clients, Danske said the news from Pfizer might be "the turning point for the global economy and financial markets that takes us out of the crisis."
"With 90% efficacy it is much easier to achieve full herd immunity as it lowers the threshold of how many people need to get the vaccine to reach that goal. It thus increases the likelihood that we can return much faster to a world with no restrictions and no risk of new lockdowns," the Daish broker said.
"Travelling can return to normal and large gatherings are no longer a risk. Also, remember that we have several other candidates in phase 3 trials right now."
In parallel, in remarks made to the BBC, John Bell, the regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, said the news from Pfizer also made him "pretty optimistic" of "getting a good result as well" on the Covid-19 vaccine being tested by AstraZenaca.
Trial results for the vaccine being tested by AstraZeneca and Oxford should arrive "in weeks not months".
Asked whether life might return to normal by spring, Bell said "yes, yes, yes".
"I'm probably the first guy to say that but [...] I will say that with some confidence."
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