Pfizer announces improved vaccine results as Europe deaths rise

WASHINGTON – Pharma giant Pfizer on Wednesday boosted hopes of a possible end to the coronavirus pandemic by announcing improved results for its vaccine, even as the death rate in Europe surged and protests against restrictions turned violent.

Pfizer said a completed study of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine showed it was 95 percent effective, offering relief in parts of the world struggling to cope with a second wave.

“With hundreds of thousands of people around the globe infected every day, we urgently need to get a safe and effective vaccine to the world,” Pfizer’s chief executive Albert Bourla said.

The announcement came after another US firm involved in the vaccine…