WASHINGTON: Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday a completed analysis of their experimental Covid-19 vaccine found it protected 95 percent of people against the disease and announced they were applying for US emergency approval “within days.”

The news from the US pharmaceutical company and its German partner brought further hope to a world upended by the coronavirus pandemic, and follows an announcement last week in which they said a preliminary analysis showed the product was 90 percent effective. Adding to the encouraging data was that the efficacy was found to be consistent across all age-groups — a primary concern for a disease that hits the elderly the hardest — as well as genders and ethnicities.

“The study results mark an important step in this historic eight-month journey to bring forward a vaccine capable of helping to end this devastating pandemic,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

Wednesday’s news came after 170 people fell sick in an ongoing clinical trial of almost 44,000 people — 162 of whom were in a placebo group and eight of whom received the two-dose medicine.

Out of the 170 patients who became sick, 10 developed severe Covid-19 — nine in the placebo group and one in the vaccine group. The new data showed the vaccine was generally well tolerated, with most side-effects short-lived and either mild or moderate.

About four percent experienced severe fatigue and two percent got severe headaches after their second dose. Older patients had fewer and milder side-effects.

The preliminary analysis announced last week had been based on data from 94 sick people, and the companies say the additional patients have now given them a more complete picture.

The ongoing late-stage trial is taking place at 150 sites in the US, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina.

The trial will continue for another two years to find out how long immunity lasts and whether there are longer term safety issues.—AFP