COVID-19 vaccine: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is also very effective

A large-scale clinical trial has shown that the new vaccine against coronavirus infection (Corona 19) being developed at the University of Oxford in the UK is highly effective in preventing the onset of corona 19 symptoms.

The intermediate test result showed a 70% protective effect, but the researchers said it could reach 90% by adjusting the dose.

The test results were successful, but they came after the Pfizer and Modena vaccines showed 95% protection.

However, Oxford vaccines are much cheaper and more convenient to store and transport than Pfizer, Moder, or Vaccines.

Once the health authorities approve the use, the Oxford vaccine will play an important role in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today’s announcement takes us a step further when we can use the vaccine to end the destruction of COVID-19,” said Professor Sarah Gilbert of the Oxford Vaccine Development Team.

The UK government has already purchased 100 million doses (one dose = 1 dose) of the Oxford vaccine, and AstraZeneca said it will produce 3 billion doses for the world next year.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was “incredibly surprising news” and, although security checks are still needed, “fantastic test results”.

Prime Minister Johnson also added that before Easter next April, most of those in need of vaccination in Britain will be vaccinated.

“It’s a very nice day,” said Andrew Pollard, who oversees the development of the Oxford vaccine, and thanked 20,000 volunteers who participated in clinical trials around the world.

The Oxford vaccine took about 10 months to develop. Usually it takes about 10 years to develop a vaccine.

Two types of results were found in clinical trials involving more than 20,000 volunteers in the UK and Brazil.

In the experimental group that received 2 doses of vaccine, 30 patients with Corona 19 came out, and in the control group that received the fake drug, 101 patients came out. Researchers say it has 70% protection, which is better than the seasonal flu vaccine.

None of the people who actually received the vaccine were seriously affected by Corona 19 or needed hospital care.

“I’m really satisfied” with the clinical results, said Andrew Pollard. “This means we have a vaccine for the world.”

However, as a result of the analysis of some 3,000 people who received the original dose at the time of the first vaccination and half the original dose at the time of the second vaccination, 90% of the corona protection effect was found 19.

Professor Pollard said the results were “interesting” and “perhaps the number of doses that can be dispensed will increase.”

Analysis of clinical trials showed that the number of asymptomatic infections decreased. It is believed that asymptomatic infections can be transmitted to other people even if they do not have Corona 19 symptoms.

There are 4 million doses of the Oxford vaccine in the UK. However, nothing can happen until the authorities have evaluated the safety, efficacy and high manufacturing quality of the vaccine and have approved it for use. The evaluation will start sooner or later.

In the UK, it is not yet clear whether the Oxford vaccine or the government-ordered vaccine will be given first.

However, the UK government is preparing a large-scale vaccination project that is unmatched by vaccination for children or vaccines against seasonal influenza.

Nursing home residents and staff will be vaccinated first, followed by medical staff and those over the age of 80. From there, the current plan is to inoculate sequentially according to age group.

The way the Oxford vaccine works is completely different from Pfizer and Modena, who inject some of the genetic information of the virus into patients.

The Oxford vaccine is a genetically modified version of the common cold virus that infects chimpanzees.

The genetic information of the virus has been modified to contain the blueprint of a part of the coronavirus known as the “spike-shaped protein” and prevent infection in humans.

Once these planes enter the body, they begin to produce the spike-shaped protein of the coronavirus. The body’s immune system recognizes this as a threat and attacks it.

In this way, the immune system that has experienced the coronavirus with a vaccine will be able to adequately cope with the real coronavirus.

There is still no definitive answer to this question.

One possibility is that the immune system will reject the vaccine if too much vaccine made with the common cold virus is initially injected.

Or it may be that a small dose initially and then a large dose works more like a real COVID-19 infection, enhancing the immune response.

Both the Pfizer and Modena vaccines show 95% protection against COVID-19, so the 70% protection can be considered relatively disappointing.

However, this vaccine can still protect lives against COVID-19 and its 70% effectiveness is better than the seasonal flu vaccine.

In addition, it has powerful advantages over other vaccines that make it more comfortable to use. Since it can be stored at the temperature of a general refrigerator, it can be distributed anywhere in the world. Pfizer-Bioentech or Modena vaccines should be stored at much lower temperatures.

The Oxford vaccine costs 3 pounds (about 4,400 won) per dose, which is much cheaper than Pfizer (about 22,000 won) or Modena (about 37,000 won).

Oxford vaccine production technology is close to traditional vaccine production technology, so mass production is possible at lower cost. AstraZeneca also stated that it would not make a profit from the vaccine.

The reason we spent the year with quarantine measures like containment was to make time to develop vaccines.

But producing vaccines in quantities capable of immunizing tens of millions of people in the UK, as well as billions of people around the world, remains a daunting task.

Our lives will not return to normal tomorrow, but things can improve dramatically when the most dangerous people can be protected.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that the UK will be “close to normal” next summer. “Until the vaccine is released, we all need to take care of each other.”

Professor Peter Hobby, who is from Oxford University and who has not participated in the vaccine trial, said: “This is very good news, and the end of the tunnel is clearly visible. The person who received the Oxford vaccine she has not been hospitalized or died of Corona 19. “

Dr Stephen Griffin from the University of Leeds said: “This is great news and it is really good news. There is great potential for great public health results by distributing the vaccine worldwide.”

Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, expressed “utter gratitude” to the British people and those who participated in the COVID-19 clinical trial, adding that “as we have repeatedly said, only science will lift us out of this well.”