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The British Drug Authority approved the vaccine AstraZeneca me Oxford.
This is an important moment in the fight against Covid: Oxford vaccine is easier to handle and less expensive. It can be stored in a normal refrigerator, at approximately -4 degrees, and does not need special freezers, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. AstraZeneca has agreed to distribute the vaccine at the cost of production, approximately 2.8 euros.
This is a great moment in a very difficult year, we are very happy at Oxford, an extraordinary result in a very short time, a sign of hope, said Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group. There, in hospitals, the situation is critical. The team would like to thank everyone who worked hard to achieve this, thanks to volunteers from around the world.
From the data emerging from the Braitannic agency, the MHRA, the approved dose of two full doses, with the booster to be given in a period of 4 to 12 weeks after the first injection: an important detail (we explain why below ).
The vaccine, which has numerous differences from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, not yet authorized by the EU Medicines Authority, Ema.
On Tuesday, EMA Deputy Director Noel Wathion said authorization in the EU was unlikely in January. They have not yet been implemented, he explained, noting that more data on the quality of the vaccine was needed. British Health Minister Matt Hancock, quoted by Reuters, said he had already received all the necessary data from AstraZeneca and Oxford.
For the moment, therefore, Great Britain has authorized the use of three vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca-Oxford), the European Union (Pfizer-BioNTech) on the Moderna vaccine, approved in the USA on December 18, the EMA will rule on January 6. (Here we explain how the British Authority had managed to approve Moderna’s vaccine before the European Union.)
The first doses should be administered from January 4.
What technique does the AstraZeneca vaccine use? Different from the others?
Pfizer and Moderna use the technique RNA Messenger, which contains the instructions to produce a protein present in Sars-Cov-2: our body recognizes the protein and activates the immune system. the first time this methodology is used.
The Oxford formula is based on a viral vector which cannot replicate, but carries Covid genes into human cells, a method that is already used.
How effective is the AstraZeneca vaccine? And the others?
L ‘effectiveness of almost identical licensed vaccines: Pfizer data declares 95% yield 7 days after second dose, Moderna 94.5% two weeks after second dose
The AstraZeneca discussion is more complicated, because the data is controversial. Initially, the company had announced an efficacy of 90%, but had clarified that the percentage was relative to the administration of one and a half doses. With the two doses delivered, the effectiveness dropped to 62%, making it necessary to repeat some tests. In recent days, the CEO said that new data (not yet published) would show that the vaccine protects 95% of subjects.
As previously written, the MHRA agency has so far approved only the dosing of two full doses, therefore, in theory, the least effective, with the booster taking place in a period of 4 to 12 weeks after the first injection. longer period than that of already approved vaccines). The reason is that the agency has preferred to authorize for now only the use for which there is more research.
Why is the AstraZeneca vaccine easier to store?
Pfizer’s product is the most critical to store and transport, requiring a temperature of -70 degrees. Moderna and AstraZeneca instead produce drugs that can be stored at 2-8 degrees.
Are there any side effects?
To date, out of more than 3 million people vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna, there have been 8 serious allergic reactions and they have all resolved anyway. With the Pfizer vaccine, one in every 1,000 volunteers experienced temporary facial paralysis. The other reactions described in the phase 3 studies of the three candidates are the most common and mild: pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, pain in the muscles and joints, chills, and low-grade fever. The only approved vaccine in Europe, Pfizer, is not recommended for children under the age of 16 and pregnant women because testing has not yet been done in these categories. Otherwise, everyone can be vaccinated, even those who have recovered, so the injection could be an enhancement of the immune response. The duration of protection provided by the three vaccines is not yet certain, but knowledge about other types of coronavirus indicates that it should be at least 9-12 months.
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