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Anti-vaxxers point finger at Bill Gates after Pfizer breakthrough

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

Henry Goodwin

Henry is a reporter with a keen interest in politics and current affairs. He read History at the University of Cambridge and has a Masters in Newspaper Journalism from City, University of London. Follow him on Twitter: @HenGoodwin.

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