These Covid-19 Vaccines Are Safe, Right?
Two shots using new technology are on the verge of widespread approval, with more traditional inoculations on the way. Here’s what you need to know.
A slew of Covid-19 vaccines are coming on line at breakneck speed, an extraordinary development.
Photographer: Bloomberg/BloombergSam Fazeli, a Bloomberg Opinion contributor who covers the pharmaceutical industry for Bloomberg Intelligence, answered questions about the safety of new Covid-19 vaccines that are set to win approval for broad use in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere as early as this month. The conversation has been edited and condensed.
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s coronavirus vaccine was cleared for use by the U.K. on Wednesday after trial data indicated it works well at preventing Covid-19. Their shot, as well as one from Moderna Inc. — both based on new technology — are on the verge of gaining similar approval in the U.S. and Europe. Other inoculations in the works from AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford, Novavax Inc. and Johnson & Johnson are in the late stage of trials, with approval likely within months. This is extraordinary. These vaccines appear to have been developed at breakneck speed. How is this possible when it typically takes years to develop an effective inoculation?