Pfizer Inc. has launched a pilot delivery program for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in four U.S. states, after announcing last week that early data shows the two-shot vaccine is 90% effective.
“We are hopeful that results from this vaccine delivery pilot will serve as the model for other U.S. states and international governments, as they prepare to implement effective COVID-19 vaccine programs,” Pfizer said in a statement on Monday.
The drug maker picked New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas for the pilot program, after weighing the states’ populations, racial diversity, immunization infrastructure and need to reach people in both urban and rural areas, Fox Business reported.
The Food and Drug Administration requires a company to monitor at least 50% of a study’s subjects for side effects for a period of two months before making a safety assessment of the vaccine. Pfizer says it is in on track to collect that data by next week, and could apply for FDA emergency authorization soon after that.