The study, which involved more than 32,000 participants, found that the vaccine was 79% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100% effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalization. The vaccine also showed strong efficacy in older adults, a group that has been particularly vulnerable to the virus.
The results are a major boost for AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which has been dogged by controversy in recent weeks after reports of rare blood clots in some recipients. The company said it had not seen any safety concerns that would preclude use of the vaccine.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine is already being used in dozens of countries around the world and is expected to be approved soon by U.S. regulators. It is cheaper and easier to store than other vaccines on the market, making it an attractive option for many countries with limited resources.
The company said it is continuing to monitor the safety of its vaccine and will provide updates as new information becomes available. The company also said it is working with regulators around the world to ensure that people who receive the vaccine are aware of any potential risks.
The results showed that the vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19, and 100% effective in preventing severe disease and hospitalization. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the data to determine whether it should be authorized for use in the U.S.
The company also said the vaccine was easy to store and transport, making it more accessible in low- and middle-income countries.
- “These findings reconfirm previous results observed,” said Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester School of Medicine, who helped lead the trial. “It’s exciting to see similar efficacy results in people over 65 for the first time.”
“It is reassuring that the AstraZeneca vaccine has been shown to be effective against the South African variant, as this was one of the main concerns,” he said. “This study also shows that the vaccine can still provide some protection even when there is a mismatch between the vaccine strain and circulating variants.”
- “The earlier U.K., Brazil, South Africa trials had a more variable and inconsistent design and it was thought that the U.S. FDA would never approve the use of the AZ vaccine on this basis, but now the U.S. clinical trial has confirmed the efficacy of this vaccine in their own clinical trials,” he said.
The FDA is expected to make a decision on the vaccine in the coming weeks. If approved, AstraZeneca could begin distributing doses of its vaccine in the U.S. as early as next month.
The study, which began in December, is expected to provide more definitive answers about the effectiveness of the vaccines. It will compare the number of people who got vaccinated and then became infected with COVID-19 to those who did not get vaccinated. The results are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) then granted emergency authorization for the vaccine on December 30, 2020, after reviewing full data from the clinical trials. The MHRA concluded that the vaccine was safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 in adults aged 18 years and over.
The FDA said it was aware of the data and that it would be taken into consideration when making a decision. The agency also said it was looking at how long to wait between doses, but did not provide any specifics.
The FDA also said it was working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop guidance on how to use the vaccine in different populations, including those who are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions.
The FDA’s suspension of AstraZeneca’s study in the US was a result of concerns about neurologic complaints reported in Britain. The FDA wanted to investigate these reports and ensure that the vaccine was not responsible for them. After an extensive investigation, it was determined that there was no evidence linking the vaccine to the reported neurologic issues.
The agency said the benefits of the vaccine still outweighed any risks.
The suspension of the AstraZeneca shot has caused a disruption in Europe’s vaccination efforts, as many countries had been relying on it to vaccinate their populations. It has also raised questions about the safety of other vaccines, such as those from Pfizer and Moderna. However, experts have stressed that all vaccines are safe and effective and that any rare side effects should be weighed against the risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19.
- France, Germany, Italy and other countries subsequently resumed their use of the shot on Friday, with senior politicians rolling up their sleeves to show the vaccine was safe.
The company said it would also continue to analyze data from other countries, including the U.K., Brazil and South Africa, where the vaccine has already been approved for use. AstraZeneca said it was confident that its vaccine was safe and effective and that it would help protect people from the virus.
The vaccine has been found to be safe and effective in clinical trials.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is relatively easy to store and transport, making it well-suited for use in developing countries. It is also much cheaper than other vaccines, with some doses costing as little as $3. It has been approved for emergency use in more than 70 countries, including the United States.
AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard reported from Washington on the new study about the potential benefits of a Mediterranean diet. She discussed the findings of the study and how it could help people reduce their risk of heart disease.
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