An end to the pandemic could be in sight, after manufacturers announced that a leading Covid-19 vaccine is more than 90 per cent effective – a much better performance than experts had hoped for.
The developers – Pfizer and German firm BioNTech – hailed the preliminary results as a “great day for science and humanity”. Their vaccine has been tested on 43,500 people across six countries – and no safety concerns have been raised.
It is a major breakthrough in the battle against Covid-19, raising hopes that the shot could be available for use by the end of the year if given the green light by drug authorities.
But it has encountered unsurprising – and often deranged – resistance, with anti-vaxxers out in force online and linking the vaccine news to billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Some of the most bizarre tweets here.
Related: Covid-19 vaccine more than 90% effective, manufacturer says