Good results in booster jab

DATA from a Phase III trial demonstrated high efficacy of a booster dose of their Covid-19 vaccine against the virus, including the Delta variant, Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said yesterday.

A trial of 10 000 participants aged 16 or older showed 95.6% effectiveness against the diseases, during a period in which the Delta strain was prevalent. The study also found that the booster shot had a favourable safety profile.

Pfizer had said its two-shot vaccine’s efficacy drops over time, citing a study that showed 84% effectiveness from a peak of 96% four months after a second dose. Some countries had plans to give booster doses.

The drugmakers said the median time between the second dose and the booster shot or the placebo in the study was around 11 months, adding that there were only five cases of Covid-19 in the booster group, compared with 109 cases in the group that received the placebo shot.

“These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease,” Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said.