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The study by the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and the University of Oxford showed that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “poorly effective” against the South African variant, Final Times not saturday.
“In this small phase I / II study, preliminary data demonstrate reduced efficacy against minor diseases mainly due to the South African variant B.1.351“Said an AstraZeneca spokesperson in response to news from the Final Times.
The spokesman advanced though could not “adequately determine its effect against serious illnesses and hospitalizations, since individuals [que participaram no estudo] they were predominantly young and healthy adults.
The pharmaceutical company says, however, that it believes its vaccine is effective in protecting against serious diseases derived from Covid-19 infection, since the neutralizing antibodies detected are equivalent to those of other vaccines that have been shown to be effective against serious diseases. .
Despite this, the newspaper ensures that none of the more than two thousand volunteers who participated in this study was hospitalized or died. The clinical trial, which involved 2,026 participants, has yet to be reviewed and, according to Final Times, should be published next Monday.
Michael Head, a researcher at the University of Southampton, UK, believes that if the vaccine is less effective against mild diseases, but has good results against serious diseases, it would still be “a very good result.”
“I don’t think we should be too alarmed [com os resultados], but we need to see the full study to find out what the real implications are“The researcher told the BBC.
The AstraZeneca spokesperson said that, together with the University of Oxford, they have already started “to tailor the vaccine against this variant and will rapidly advance clinical development so that it is ready for delivery in the fall, if necessary.”
Effective British variant vaccine
The news showing the reduced efficacy of the Oxford vaccine against the South African variant came a day after the pharmacist announced that it is effective in protecting against the new British variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Scientists at the British institution that created the substance point to a similar effect when it comes to fighting the variant or when facing the original Covid-19 strain, used in clinical trials.
Since its appearance, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has multiplied into new variants. Scientists explain that it is normal for viruses to undergo minor changes or mutations in their genetics as they reproduce.
Nevertheless, Experts are particularly concerned about three new mutations, the so-called British, South African and Brazilian variants, as they appear to be more contagious.
In general, scientists believe that the vaccines, which were designed for earlier versions of Covid-19, may be effective against these new strains, although the level of success in preventing the disease is unclear. Pharmaceuticals are therefore looking to improve their vaccines to ensure that they continue to show positive results against the new variants.
The first results suggest that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine protects against the new variants. The American biotech company Moderna also announced that its vaccine remains effective against the British and South African variants.
with agencies
