Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate was 95 percent effective during its last-stage trial, Reuters reported Wednesday, adding that the drugmaker will soon apply for emergency authorization in the United States.

Reuters said that the efficacy of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech was consistent across age and ethnicity demographics, meaning that the drug could be used to boost immunization broadly for people across the globe.

No major side effects were reported from the trial, assuring safety of the vaccine candidate ahead of applying for authorization from global health authorities, the news agency reported.

The announcement from Pfizer comes just days after Moderna released preliminary data of its vaccine that showed similar effectiveness.

The positive trial results from the two companies are igniting hopes that the global COVID-19 pandemic, which caused major disruptions across the world, will finally come to an end.

From news reports (khnews@heraldcorp.com)