SUMMARY: Pfizer’s ad in newspapers around the U.S. shows that they are ready to lead the fight against COVID-19 and in the process establish that their vaccine is safe and has been well tested.

Pfizer ran an ad today that is superb. The ad, for it’s COVID-19 vaccine, has a headline that says “courage” and details that 43,661 people tested their vaccine and ends with “science will win”.

This ad send out a reassurance to vaccine skeptics who have come to believe that political forces are approving medications that may be unsafe. But, it’s more than that. The “courage” headline thanks people who participated in the clinical trials this vaccine.

The hard work for trust-rebuilders has hardly even started, though. Reports have focused on the tricky, but not insuperable, logistics of distributing a drug at sub-zero temperatures. But the real test for trust comes when the vaccine meets human sceptics, from militant anti-vaxxers to the worried “vaccine-hesitant”.

 A new Gallup poll finds that 58% of Americans said they would get vaccinated against the coronavirus if there was an FDA-approved vaccine available right now at no cost. That’s up from mid-September when just 50% said they would get vaccinated.

As the Gallup data reveals, folks are more willing to get the vaccine than were a few months ago. We see a similar trend in the data from the Axios/Ipsos poll. In a slightly different question, 45% of Americans say they are likely to immediately be vaccinated as soon as possible. That’s up from 38% in September.

If 70% of the population got the vaccine, it could be huge in defeating the virus. A vaccine that covers 65% to 70% of the population is likely to get us population immunity through vaccination, according to the World Health Organization.

The Pfizer ad is the first shot in what’s sure to be a major battle for COVID-19 vaccine dollars. Pfizer still has some logistics to work out but I’m confident that people will welcome this product and that it will partly restore trust in pharma.