Covid19 Vaccine Update

According to pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech, their new vaccine has exceeded all expectations so far in clinical trials. They said it is more than ninety-percent effective at preventing Covid-19 symptoms. About 44 000 people have enrolled in the clinical trials for this vaccine, which are taking place in several countries, including South Africa. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine exploits new technology that has never before been used in vaccines another reason to treat it with caution. It uses mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) to tell the body to produce viral proteins which stimulate an immune response in the body. Although effective, there are considerable logistical challenges associated with this approach.To assist us on this we are joined by: • Professor Shabir Madhi Professor of Vaccinology at Wits University • Professor Adrian Puren from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)