Cautious optimism over Covid-19 vaccine trials | Letters

Readers respond to news that an interim analysis has shown Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine candidate was 90% effective in protecting people from transmission of the virus in global trials

The media have been awash with stories about the apparent success of the Pfizer Covid vaccine following the publication of preliminary trial outcomes (Hopes rise for end of pandemic as Pfizer says vaccine is 90% effective, 10 November). I am not surprised that the public has latched on to these, as hope and positivity have been in short supply this past year. I have even had patients contacting me about when the vaccine will be available, stating that it will allow normal" life to resume.

While the public can be forgiven for overoptimism, it is important that the medical profession, the media and the government keep expectations grounded and do not encourage the notion that we now have a panacea that will take us out of the pandemic.