Coronavirus company news summary – the EC approves J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine – Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine found to be 97% effective after two doses in Israeli real-world study

12 March 2021

Israel’s Ministry of Health, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that real-world evidence demonstrates lower incidence of Covid-19 disease among individuals fully vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine (BNT162b2), highlighting the significant public health impact of Israel’s quick, nationwide immunisation programme. The latest analysis showed that two weeks after the second dose, the vaccine was 97% effective in preventing symptomatic disease, severe or critical disease, and death.

The Danish Health Authority has announced that it will suspend the use of  AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine for the next 14 days because of concerns about blood clots. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is also currently investigating the link between the Covid-19 vaccine and severe blood clots. Two individuals are reported to have died of conditions related with blood clots soon after receiving the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.

The European Commission (EC) has approved a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for Johnson & Johnson (J&J)’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine in individuals aged 18 and older. Results from the Phase III ENSEMBLE study found the J&J Covid-19 vaccine was well tolerated and 67% effective in reducing symptomatic Covid-19 disease.

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