What Pfizer's scientists consider the 'biggest surprise' about their COVID-19 vaccine


The aspect of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine that really stunned the company's scientists was the fact that vaccinated participants in the Phase 3 efficacy trial had protections against the pathogen by day 12, a time at which there was barely any antibody response, Stat News reports. "That was the biggest surprise," said Vidia Roopchand, Pfizer's principal scientist for viral vaccines.
Roopchand is still trying to figure exactly why that is — not that it's a bad thing — by poring over the data. One possibility is that other aspects of the immune system such as T-cells that Roopchand says have largely been neglected in immunology research may have played a significant role. It's possible, he suggested, that's more important to measure cellular immunity than look for a robust antibody response. "The 12-day protection data is telling us there's more to it," Roopchand told Stat. "This is a great time to learn."
He also indicated that the discovery could affect future vaccine development, regardless of the virus. Before, vaccine candidates would likely get tossed to the side if they didn't produce a strong antibody response in animal testing, but a deeper look at the rest of the immune system could change that approach. Read more at Stat News.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts