Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1313317
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS The vaccines on the market News of 90% effectiveness rates in vaccine trials signals what could be the beginning of the end for the pandemic. According to the WHO over 150 vaccines are being devel- oped around the world. The EU has approved contracts with four companies, securing millions of doses on behalf of all mem- ber states. Contracts have been signed with AstraZeneca (the Oxford vaccine), Sanofi-GSK, Johnson & Johnson, CureVac, BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna. The agreements will allow all member states to purchase 160 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, 300 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Sanofi-GSK vaccines, and member states will be allowed to purchase vaccines for 200 million people from Johnson & Johnson. The EU will cover an initial purchase of 200 million doses on behalf of all EU Member States for vaccines pro- vided by BioNTech-Pfizer, and another 225 million from Cure- Vac. What's the difference? The COVID-19 vaccines avail- able to Malta are either genetic vaccines, protein-based, or viral vector vaccines. Genetic vac- cines use part of the virus's ge- netic code, either the DNA or messenger RNA cells, to trigger an immune response. The ma- jor advantage offered by these vaccines is that they can be pro- duced more quickly than tradi- tional methods. CureVac, Mod- erna and BioNTech-Pfizer are following the mRNA route to deliver the vaccine. Sanofi-GSK are producing a protein-based vaccine using coronavirus proteins without any genetic material such as DNA or mRNA. The proteins contain engineered viruses that cultivate inside insect cells, but GSK is supplementing the pro- tein with an adjuvant, which enhances the body's immune re- sponse to an antigen, for added stimulation. Since a protein is not a virus, the coronavirus pro- tein cannot cause any disease. Viral vector vaccines use a live virus genetically engineered to carry coronavirus DNA into cells. In the case of the COV- ID-19 vaccine, a spike protein gene is added to an adenovirus, and the adenovirus makes its way into cells and delivers the gene. Adenoviruses are notorious for causing respiratory illnesses such as the common cold, but since the virus is missing one of its own genes the adenovirus is unable to replicate within cells, rendering the vaccine safe for use. Johnson & Johnson and As- trazeneca are using this method in their COVID-19 vaccines. Clinical trial phases – when the vaccine will be finalized Having finalised Phase 3 trials, the BioNTech-Pfizer is expected to be among the earliest, if not the first, to make its way to the market. The European Medi- cines Authority launched a roll- ing review of the vaccine data back in October, but the final- ised data is yet to be assessed. The Moderna vaccine was seen as another close contender to be distributed first to Malta. Phase 3 trials began back in July, and preliminary results announced on November 16 indicated a 94.5% effectiveness rate. Astra- zeneca are close behind, with finished data from Phase 2/3 tri- als showing good efficacy. CureVac and Sanofi-GSK lag further behind, with Phase 3 tri- als expected by end of year. Vaccine effectiveness – is 90% promising? The effectiveness rate indicates whether the vaccine is capable of preventing a person from con- tracting the virus. It's important to understand that this vaccine is by no means a cure in and of itself but is instead a preven- tive measure to inhibit further spread of COVID-19. Any pa- tients suffering from the virus will still have to rely on ventila- tors for the time being. Regardless, a 90% effectiveness rate is a great figure for a vac- cine. For comparison, the influ- enza vaccine has an effectiveness rate of around 60-70%. While the news sparks hope in the medical community, virologist Christo- pher Barbara told MaltaToday that he is "cautiously confident" in the results, emphasising that the data must first be reviewed to ensure that the figures are correct. Compiled by Nicole Meilak HEALTH authorities registered 108 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, following 2,870 swab tests. For the second consecutive day, the num- ber of recoveries registered outnumbered the number of new cases found. 121 patients recovered between Friday and Saturday, authorities said. Malta has identified 9,609 COVID-19 cases since the virus was first detected in March. 132 patients have died while infect- ed with the virus while 7418 have recov- ered. Active cases stood at 2,059 as of 12.30pm on Saturday. Malta ranks 22nd across the EU for new cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days and 19th for deaths per 100,000 over that same time-frame. The new cases include 32 were family members of previously known cases, three who were at social events with previously known cases, and two who were work col- leagues of previously known cases. Cases 9609 Active 2059 Recoveries 7418 Deaths 132 Swabs 421,890 LATEST COVID-19 www.maltatoday.com.mt/covid19 COVID-19: 108 new cases Vaccine race KURT SANSONE EUROPE'S medicines watch- dog is expected to give Pfizer the first market authorisation for a COVID-19 vaccine in December, Chris Fearne said. The Deputy Prime Minister said the European Medicines Agency is expected to receive the company's final submis- sions and once approval is given towards the end of De- cember, the vaccine roll-out will start immediately. Fearne told MaltaToday in an interview published today that Malta has half-a-million coronavirus vaccine doses ordered from Pfizer and the first batch could be expect- ed to arrive here in January. Vaccine orders have also been placed with other man- ufacturers. Malta has agreed logistical arrangements with Pfizer to have the vaccine delivered, Fearne added. He said the Pfizer vaccine, which was at the most ad- vanced state of production, has to be kept at cold tem- peratures and will have to be transported overland. "When the vaccine is ap- proved, and released, the first trucks will depart to Malta. The overland journey will take between four and five days, which means that with- in a week the vaccine will be here and we can start vacci- nating people," he said. The first to receive the vac- cine will be the front liners dealing with sick patients and the elderly aged 80 and over. Fearne said that Malta had ordered enough vaccines to inoculate the whole popu- lation and the nationwide roll out will take up to six months. Malta could start receiving COVID vaccine in January