AQW 12663/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 13/01/2021
Answered On Date: 15/02/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the efficacy after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Answer:

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is a highly effective vaccine and from clinical trial data is anticipated to have a sizeable effect on preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.

JCVI has now recommended that as many people on the JCVI priority list as possible should be offered a first vaccine dose as the initial priority.

The four UK Chief Medical Officers agree with JCVI that prioritising the first doses of vaccine for as many people as possible will deliver the greatest benefit overall in the shortest possible time, will have the greatest impact on reducing mortality and hospitalisations thus protecting the Health and Social Care system, and is the right thing to do for public health.