Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine | Biden’s Plan | Europa Glows In The Dark

Plus: Man Suffers Life-Threatening Allergic Shock To Cold After Shower

This week, Pfizer and BioNTech announced preliminary results from the phase 3 trial of its Covid-19 vaccine. The initial data suggest the vaccine may be up to 90% effective at preventing the virus with no serious safety concerns, which is great news. But don’t expect it to hit the market immediately, as the vaccine still needs to clear more hurdles and get sign-off from federal regulators, as Forbes Senior Editor Alex Knapp reports. The three billionaires behind BioNTech gained about $2 billion following the news. 

Plus, President Donald Trump falsely claimed that the federal government was to credit for the vaccine’s development. While Operation Warp Speed has agreed to secure 100 million doses in a deal valued at $1.95 billion, Pfizer shouldered the development costs. 

Any questions? Send me an email at kjennings@forbes.com.

With Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations at all-time highs, President-elect Joe Biden announced a task force to put his plan to combat the virus into effect. The group will be co-chaired by former FDA commissioner David Kessler, Marcella Nunez-Smith, associate dean at Yale and former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Recommendations will include a nationwide mask mandate, more testing and clearer communications. The President-elect’s transition website has also posted the future Administration’s plans, which is centered around the mantra “Listen to science.” 

Noteworthy

CVS Health CEO Larry Merlo is transitioning out of the role he’s held for a decade, as executive vice president Karen Lynch is set to take over in February. 

The World Health Organization is investigating mink-related Covid-19 after 200 people in Denmark caught the virus from infected animals. 

In better news, ferrets (relatives of the mink) received a nasal spray that successfully prevented Covid-19 transmission in a study. 

Georgia, which is headed for a recount of the presidential election, requires signature matching on ballots, even though the science is dubious. 

A federal court ordered a division of health insurer giant UnitedHealth Group to reprocess 67,000 claims it denied for behavioral healthcare. 

A new study adds to growing evidence that the active compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms might benefit people with depression.

Across Forbes

• Endangered Marine Mammals Are At Risk Of Contracting Covid-19

• Jupiter’s Moon Europa Glows In The Dark, Say Scientists

• Walmart To Test Robotic Deliveries With Cruise’s Electric Self-Driving Vehicles

• Solar Stocks Soared This Year, But Now They’re Feeling The Market’s Heat–Could The Boom Be Over?

What Else We Are Reading

• In medical schools, students seek robust and mandatory anti-racist training (The Washington Post)

• Shot to Prevent H.I.V. Works Better Than Daily Pill in Women (The New York Times)

• Mammograms fell sharply in early pandemic months, study finds (The 19th)