International pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech reported that the first of their four experimental COVID-19 vaccine candidates against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are already showing ‘encouraging’ test results from 45 individuals.
Preliminary results showed that each volunteer showed immune responses earlier projected and anticipated by the experts to be a protective reaction after each one had been given either a low or medium dose of the vaccine candidate about one month apart.
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Reports from the Associated Press reveal that Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine functions by using a piece of the coronavirus genetic code to prime the body to recognize and attack the virus.
Researchers, however, chose not to administer a second shot with the highest dose, after initial tests showed that it only caused more injection reactions rather than long term benefits.
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Each individual also showed only typical vaccine side effects like pain during the injection and fever. Reports and findings regarding the vaccine candidate have already been submitted for publication in a scientific journal to be reviewed by experts from around the globe.
Many more scientists and pharmaceutical experts are finding candidates for a vaccine against COVID-19 that has affected over 11,000,000 individuals to date.
