WSJ: 'Pfizer then planned to track at least 21 cases to establish a bare-bones measure of efficacy. By comparison, Moderna tracked more than 250 cases. Yet Pfizer truncated its data collection on April 29—the day after Moderna announced it had submitted its application for emergency-use authorization—even though a mere 10 cases had been recorded after the third dose. It’s hard not to conclude that Pfizer cut corners to avoid getting beaten by Moderna. But as a result too few cases were documented to measure with any degree of confidence Pfizer’s vaccine efficacy. Pfizer nonetheless proclaimed its vaccine was 80% effective. Moderna scientists must be seething. A Pfizer spokesperson says the FDA was more interested in vaccine “immunogenicity” data than efficacy among toddlers and will do another efficacy analysis after more cases accrue.
'More troubling, vaccinated toddlers in Pfizer’s trial were more likely to get severely ill with Covid than those who received a placebo. Pfizer claimed most severe cases weren’t “clinically significant,” whatever that means, but this was all the more reason that the FDA should have required a longer follow-up before authorizing the vaccine.
'Also worrisome: Most kids who developed multiple infections during the trial were vaccinated. This warranted more investigation, since experimental vaccines for other diseases sometimes increase susceptibility to infection.'
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