6 participants die in Pfizer vaccine trials

09:20, 09 December 2020 12 783

Photo: Cadu Rolim/Global Look Press

Six people have died in trials of a vaccine developed jointly by the US company Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, according to the website of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

During the reporting period, there were six deaths (two deaths in the vaccinated group, four in the placebo group), TASS reports.

In the group of those who received the vaccine, one participant with atherosclerosis and obesity died three days after the first dose of the drug. Another participant died of cardiac arrest 60 days after the second dose.

However, in the placebo group, two people died from a stroke and heart attack, the cause of death of two more participants has not been established. Half of those died in all groups were over 55.

The FDA has scheduled a meeting for December 10 to approve the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

The UK has already certified the COVID-19 vaccine on December 2. The product has been approved for use by Pfizer and BioNTech. The vaccine will become available in the country within the next week.

Mass vaccinations are expected to begin in the spring of 2021. The development’s effectiveness was estimated at 95 percent, said the head of the working group of the UK Commission on Human Medicines Munir Pirmohamed.

NEWS.ru reported earlier that BioNTech and Pfizer applied for registration of coronavirus vaccine in the European Union.