Bloomberg Opinion, Columnist

How Good Is the Israeli Pfizer Vaccine News?

Preliminary, unpublished data suggest the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is effective at preventing coronavirus infections. Some serious caveats apply.

February 22, 2021 at 7:49 PM UTC

By Bloomberg Opinion

Bloomberg Opinion provides commentary on business, economics, politics, technology and markets.

News on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s effectiveness at stopping viral transmission seems good, but there’s reason for caution. — News on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s effectiveness at stopping viral transmission seems good, but there’s reason for caution.
Photographer: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg

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Sam Fazeli, a Bloomberg Opinion contributor who covers the pharmaceutical industry for Bloomberg Intelligence, answered questions about preliminary research from Israel indicating that the Pfizer-BioNTech SE Covid-19 vaccine is highly effective not just in preventing disease but also in curbing the spread of coronavirus infections. The conversation has been edited and condensed.

The news out of Israel sounds very good. Is it as encouraging as it seems?