Clarifying confusion over Pfizer vax transmission prevention trials

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Pfizer‘s admission they didn’t do scientific trials to see if their vaccine prevented COVID19 transmission looks like a courtroom-esque, gotcha admission.

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“One of many greatest scandals of our time,” Dutch Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Bob Roos declared on Tucker Carlson’s FOX Information present. “It actually was a particular second.”

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“For the primary time, Pfizer admitted that the vaccine was not examined on stopping the transmission of the virus when it entered the market.”

However was the Oct. tenth testimony a blockbuster?

An Related Press story Friday identified the pharmaceutical firm by no means claimed to have accomplished such a trial and this was not something new.

Upon a better look, I additionally discovered Pfizer President of Worldwide Developed Markets Janine Small’s precise quote unclear. 

Roos requested her “was the Pfizer COVD-19 vaccine examined on stopping the transmission of the virus earlier than it entered the market?”

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Small with a chuckle responded, “Relating to the query round whether or not we knew about stopping immunization earlier than it entered the market, no,” after which stated, “we needed to actually transfer on the pace of science to essentially perceive what’s going down available in the market and from that standpoint we needed to do every part in danger.”

On Twitter, Roos stated COVID-19 “passports and mandates positioned tens of millions of individuals exterior society” however “there was no proof the vaccine would even cease the transmission.”

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However Small used the phrase “immunization” and never transmission, which made her response complicated. 

So I reached out to Pfizer Canada to make clear this by asking in the event that they did a scientific trial on stopping transmission of the virus after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

In her response, Pfizer’s Director of Company Affairs Christina Antoniou wrote the next:

“Our landmark part 3 scientific trial protocol revealed November 2020 was designed and powered to judge efficacy of BNT162b2 to stop illness attributable to SARS-CoV2, together with extreme illness. The pivotal BNT162b2 scientific trial met two crucial endpoints together with the efficacy end-point which is prevention on of confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 an infection and the secondary end-point was prevention of extreme illness. The BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) trials weren’t designed to judge the vaccine’s effectiveness towards transmission of SARS-CoV-2.”

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It could appear to be an extended scientific reply however in it Pfizer Canada clears up any ambiguity. The corporate confirmed these trials didn’t examine transmission of COVID-19 after immunization.

That is vital since Authorities of Canada’s personal site states “vaccination is among the only methods to guard our households, communities and ourselves towards COVID-19.”

An Oct. 6., 2021 press launch from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “by requiring vaccination from federal public servants, travellers and staff … the Authorities of Canada will scale back the danger of COVID-19, forestall future outbreaks and higher defend the well being of Canadians.”

However the choice to take such main actions that included lockdowns, journey restrictions, job terminations and vaccine passports was not primarily based on science displaying a vaccinated individual wouldn’t transmit COVID-19.

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Within the 2021 election marketing campaign, Trudeau requested Canadians to “speak to these people who’re nonetheless questioning if they need to get vaccinated and inform them ‘sure, they should get vaccinated, so we defend ourselves, defend our communities and defend our youngsters.’”

I despatched a query to the PMO and Well being Canada asking with Pfizer’s admission would Trudeau amend earlier feedback for folks to get vaccinated to stop virus unfold when there was no trial information to point vaccination would cease transmission?

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Well being Canada responded Friday evening to what they referred to as “misinformation concerning the Pfizer-BioNTech scientific trial circulating on-line.”

“The efficacy of all COVID-19 vaccines was examined in scientific trials designed to evaluate the vaccines’ skill to stop an infection with SARS-CoV-2 and their efficacy towards extreme illness,” Well being Canada stated.

“The important thing measure of vaccine efficacy is how nicely it prevents an infection in folks in danger,” they stated. “Prevention of transmission is a public well being final result of curiosity, however is just not the first measure for the needs of regulatory assessment and authorization.”

“It ought to be famous, nevertheless, that if a vaccine prevents an infection then additionally it is anticipated to stop transmission as a result of if you happen to don’t get contaminated, due to a vaccine, then you possibly can’t unfold the virus,” Well being Canada added.

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Well being Canada additionally stated “a number of teams internationally” have been learning “actual world use of the vaccines” to find out the influence on transmission.

“These research confirmed that the vaccines have had assorted impacts on transmission relying on the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants,” Well being Canada stated. “Research confirmed that the vaccines did assist to stop transmission with earlier variants; nevertheless, with the Omicron variant, whereas the vaccines proceed to be efficient at offering safety towards extreme illness, hospitalization and demise, they’re much less efficient towards an infection.”

Pfizer Canada’s Antoniou reminded “information from actual world research complement the scientific trial information and supply extra proof that the vaccine offers efficient safety towards extreme illness” and “the vaccine has helped defend billions of individuals from COVID-19.”

Whereas this can be a fashionable view, that they had been examined for transmission and spreading could assist clarify why many vaccinated individuals are nonetheless contracting COVID-19 regardless of being updated on their pictures and boosters.

What’s official is Pfizer Canada acknowledges there was no transmission trial for his or her COVID-19 vaccine.

jwarmington@postmedia.com