[ad_1]
The Telegraph
Australia drops COVID-19 vaccine due to false positives for HIV
Australia canceled production of a locally made Covid-19 vaccine after trial volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, meaning the drug could interfere with the diagnosis of that virus. Antibodies generated by the pricks developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and the biotechnology company CSL led test subjects to mistakenly test positive for the virus that causes AIDS. More trials have been stopped. Scientists said the results were a major blow to Australia’s vaccine development and would likely force the country to buy more doses of imported injections. “While it is a difficult decision to make, the urgent need for a vaccine should be everyone’s priority,” said UQ professor Paul Young. Australia has ordered a total of 140 million injections from different providers, to inoculate its 25 million inhabitants, which makes it one of the most supplied countries in the world. “We want to make sure that Australians … have full confidence, absolute full confidence that when they get the tick they can get the jab and they can make that decision for themselves and their families with confidence,” said Scott Morrison. First minister. Professor Sarah Palmer, University of Sydney School of Medicine, said: “Unfortunately, this is a setback for the development of Covid-19 vaccines. The generation of a false positive for HIV is completely unexpected for this vaccine. , but underscores the critical need to test the safety of newly developed vaccines in large numbers of volunteers. ”He said the Australian government, which was a major sponsor of UQ’s vaccination effort, would have to consider funding other alternatives, including imported vaccine from companies like Pfizer and Moderna. ”Australia’s strict quarantine regime has seen the country quell previous outbreaks and its count of 28,000 infections is much lower than in many other developed countries. Its success in keeping infections at bay has meant the country is not rushing to start vaccines like European countries and jabs is not scheduled to start until March. CSL, had had a contract to produce 51 million doses of the UQ vaccine, and will instead produce an additional 20 million doses of the Oxford vaccine that is being developed with Britain’s AstraZeneca.
