[ad_1]
The New York Times reports.
This is a major setback for the country, which received one million doses of the vaccine about a week ago. These doses were intended for healthcare professionals. Now, instead, they will use vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer-Biontech.
AstraZeneca confirmed late Saturday that its corona vaccine does not appear to be effective against a mild disease resulting from the South African mutated variant. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize declared on Sunday that authorities will await advice from investigators on the best way to proceed, writes Reuters.
The Mutant Outbreak: – We Have A Theory
Also in Norway
Also in Norway, many doses of AstraZeneca are scheduled to be administered to healthcare workers. The leader Lill Sverresdatter Larsen of the Norwegian Nurses Association will have a new assessment of that decision.
However, Geir Bukholm, director of infection control at the National Institute of Public Health, has said that healthcare workers need not worry.
– Not with the information we have so far. There are several vaccines available. Everyone is effective. So it is the case that we constantly consider whether there should be any special problems related to certain vaccines. We have no such information now, he said Sunday.
Celebrated one year after his death
Not cleared
The New York Times writes that it has not been clarified whether the vaccine protects against serious diseases caused by the mutated variant. The study participants were relatively young and therefore unlikely to become seriously ill. This made it difficult for the researchers to determine whether the variant weakened the vaccine’s ability to protect against serious diseases caused by the South African variant.
But based on the immune response in your blood, researchers believe the vaccine may still protect against more serious cases. If other studies show this as well, they will consider resuming use of the vaccine, the newspaper writes.
At the time of this writing, more than 46,000 corona-related deaths have been recorded in South Africa, while more than 1.4 million have been infected, according to live surveillance from Johns Hopkins University. According to the BBC, the South African mutation is the predominant virus in the eastern and western provinces of South Africa.
New findings on severe infant syndrome
Waiting answer
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says authorities will await a response from the professional community before making a final decision on the AstraZeneca vaccine.
AstraZeneca’s head of research in South Africa, Shabir Madhi, told Reuters the study was a reality check.
– It is time we adjusted our hopes to coronary vaccines, he says.
Mkhize emphasizes that South Africa’s vaccination program continues.
– Starting next week and next month we will have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, then comes the Pfizer vaccine, he says.
