Biden Cautiously Optimistic On COVID Vaccine News

The Washington Post reports:

In a statement, Joe Biden said his health advisers were informed Sunday night of the news that a vaccine developed by drug giant Pfizer and German biotechnology firm BioNTech was more than 90 percent effective at protecting people compared with a placebo saline shot.

“I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope,” Biden said in a statement. “At the same time, it is also important to understand that the end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away.”

Biden said that even if a vaccine is approved later this month and some Americans are vaccinated by the end of the year, “it will be many more months before there is widespread vaccination in this country.”

US stock futures skyrocketed on this news. Dow Jones Industrial Avg futures surged 1,458 points, implying opening gain of more than 1,400 points. RT Pfizer, BioNTech say Covid vaccine is > 90% effective—’great day for science and humanity’ https://t.co/hp4kBOcLUY

— Euan Rellie (@euanrellie) November 9, 2020