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On the one hand, this is a very good result, which shows that the vaccine is effective. On the other hand, it is not comparable to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which have reached almost 95% in clinical trials. efficiency level.
For this, the great advantage of the British university, which also collaborates with the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, will be the significantly lower cost of the vaccine and the incomparably simpler storage conditions of the vaccine.
Therefore, if drug regulators register this vaccine as suitable for use, it will also be very important in the fight against a pandemic.
In addition, there is interesting data that suggests that improving the dose of the vaccine could increase its effectiveness by up to 90 percent.
This vaccine was developed and clinically tested within 10 months, although the process generally takes about a decade.
“Today’s report brings us one step closer to when we will be able to use vaccines to prevent the damage caused by the virus,” said the vaccine’s developer, Prof. Sarah Gilbert.
What did the research show?
20,000 volunteers participated in clinical trials of the vaccine at the University of Oxford. Half of them were in the UK and the other half in Brazil.
After reaching the number of COVID-19 cases found in the study protocols, it was found that there were 101 infections in the placebo-controlled control group and 30 COVID-19 cases in the study group.
So the researchers concluded that the vaccine’s effectiveness level is 70 percent.
When the volunteers were injected with two “high” doses, the level of protection was 62 percent, but when the first dose was “low” and the second was “high,” the level of protection was raised to 90 percent. . Until now, it is difficult to say why there was such a difference.
“We are really satisfied with the results,” said prof. Andrew Pollardas.
He said 90 percent. the efficacy rate is “interesting” and potentially means “having a lot more vaccine ready for distribution.”
Furthermore, in the study group, which received a low initial dose and then a high dose of the vaccine, the symptoms of COVID-19 were weaker, which means that “the virus can be stopped,” said prof. A. Pollardas.
When will it be possible to get vaccinated?
There are already 4 million ready-to-use doses of this vaccine in the UK. Another 96 million. doses waiting in the manufacturer’s warehouse.
However, vaccination measures should not be taken until safety and efficacy data collected in clinical trials have been reviewed by drug regulators and vaccine production is met to high standards. The whole process should take place in the next few weeks.
How does the vaccine work?
The Oxford University vaccine is based on a genetically modified common cold virus that causes disease in chimpanzees.
The virus has been modified so that it cannot cause rhinitis in humans and is capable of carrying the genetic code of the coronavirus “spine” protein.
Once this genetic code enters the human body, the cells begin to produce a coronavirus “spine” protein, which the immune system recognizes as a threat and looks for ways to neutralize that threat by producing specific antibodies. In this way, one learns to fight the true COVID-19 infection and to attack it immediately after skipping the “immune learning” phase.
Are the results disappointing?
Taking into account that the results of the clinical trials of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines show that their efficacy is around 95%, 70%. the label may seem relatively disappointing at first glance.
But just a month ago, it was thought that any result above 50 percent would already be a scientific triumph before a pandemic. Or 70 percent. the efficacy threshold is already higher than annual flu vaccination.
A particular advantage of this vaccine is that it is much easier to transport and store. The vaccine is stable at normal refrigerator temperatures, which means that it will be able to be shipped to all corners of the world, unlike American vaccines, which must be stored (and shipped) at extremely low temperatures. Pfizer requires the vaccine to be stored at -70ºC, while Moderna’s conditions are a bit simpler but still very strict: -20ºC.
The University of Oxra’s manufacturing partner, AstraZeneca, is preparing to produce and distribute three billion doses of the vaccine worldwide.
In addition, the great advantage of the British vaccine over the American one is its price. The Oxford vaccine will cost just over € 3, Pfizer around € 17 and Moderna around € 28.
How will it change lives?
The coronavirus vaccine has been eagerly awaited since February, when it became clear that the spread of the infection was causing enormous damage to society and was subject to extremely strict quarantine restrictions.
But producing and distributing billions of doses of the vaccine around the world is a great challenge. Life should not be expected to improve starting tomorrow, but the situation should change quite soon, as the protection provided by the vaccine will reach those who need it most: people at risk, as well as ‘front-line’ virus specialists. .
British Health Secretary Matt Hacock said the situation should become “more than normal” by the summer, but that we will have to look after each other until the vaccine is distributed.
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