A COVID-19 vaccine may be rolled out by March 2021 to the most vulnerable, which along with other advances could fundamentally change the course of the pandemic, Reuters cited a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official as saying on Monday. Bruce Aylward told the WHO's annual ministerial assembly that interim results from Pfizer Inc's late-stage vaccine trial were "very positive". "By March as a result of the extraordinary work happening globally we could be in a position to fundamentally change the direction and the dynamic of this crisis," Aylward told the 194-member state forum. Pfizer said its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, raising hope as the pandemic accelerates with over 50 million cases and 1.2 million deaths. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also welcomed the "encouraging vaccine news" in a tweet.
