@DrPaulOffit tells @JAMA_current he was totally surprised that both mRNA vaccines have 94-95% efficacy. In January, he said, "no one would have thought this was possible."
#JAMAlive

In his live interview, @JAMA_current debunks some myths about covid-19 vaccines that are really important. A doctor friend texted me and wanted me to ask @drpauloffit about it for her! Instead, read this slide.

LIVE: @drpauloffit tells @JAMA_current that it's extremely encouraging that both mRNA vaccine got the same results, even though they use different doses and have other technical differences in the way they're put together. #CovidVaccine

LIVE: @drpauloffit tells @JAMA_current that both mRNA vaccine have "essentially the same results across the board...
It’s exactly what you want to see." It's reassuring that vaccines put together very differently act the same. Validates the strategy.

LIVE: @drpauloffit tells @JAMA_current he has two potential concerns about @pfizer and @modernatx vaccines. Although they had 94-95% efficacy, this was measured right after ppl got the second dose, when immune response is strongest. Protection could decline as time goes by. 1/2

Second concern for mRNA vaccines from @drpauloffit. Incidence of covid-19 in placebo group was 0.7/0.85%. That's much lower than expected rate of 3-3.5%, suggests volunteers were very careful to avoid disease. In real world, ppl might be exposed to higher viral loads #JAMAlive

Really interesting point here: Clinical trials are often the best-case scenario for a drug. For example, cancer drugs have been shown to work much better in carefully controlled trials, where patients tend to be healthier, younger than general population. #jamalive

So @modernatx, @pfizer vaccine efficacy could be "best-case scenarios." In real world, ppl may get exposed to much higher levels of virus than the extremely careful volunteers in the study (1/4 of whom were health providers). Vaccine may not work as well against high viral load.

Will covid-19 vaccines protect elderly, people w/ obesity, chronic conditions? @Drpauloffit tells @JAMA_current says that data is in @pfizer's FDA application, but b/c he's a member of FDA committee, he can't talk about it until 12/10 public meeting. Data will be public 12/8.