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SOUTHAMPTON, England: In the long dark tunnel that has been 2020, November stands out as the month the light appeared. Some may see it as a bright light, others as a dim light, but it is unmistakably light.
On November 9, Pfizer announced interim results for its candidate vaccine, showing it to be “more than 90 percent effective” in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in late-stage human trials. The news was greeted with joy.
A couple of days later, the Russian Direct Investment Fund announced that the candidate vaccine they are funding, called Sputnik V, was 92 percent effective in late-stage trials.
Not to be left behind, Moderna announced that its candidate vaccine showed an efficacy of 94.5%.
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The latest announcement for the COVID-19 vaccine comes from the University of Oxford. And, as with all previous announcements, it came via a press release.
Its vaccine candidate, developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, showed an overall effectiveness of 70.4 percent. In case it sounds disappointing, keep in mind that these are provisional results and the figures may change.
In addition, the Oxford vaccine was administered to one group of volunteers as two standard doses, which showed 62 percent effectiveness, and to another group of volunteers as a smaller dose followed by a second standard dose. This raised the effectiveness to 90 percent.
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It is not immediately clear why this is the case. Professor Andrew Pollard, one of the principal investigators on the project, described the results as “intriguing.”
He also noted that the use of lower doses means that more doses of vaccine would be available.
(Photo: AFP / JOE RAEDLE)
There were no cases of severe COVID-19 in those who received the vaccine. And it appears to elicit a protective immune response in older people.
Although we will have to wait for the final breakdown of the results to clarify it.
EFFECTIVENESS IS NOT THE ONLY MEASURE
Although the Oxford vaccine has a lower overall effectiveness than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, at least at this intermediate stage, there are other success factors to consider.
Safety is one, and the Oxford vaccine has so far been reported to have a good safety record with no serious side effects.
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Another crucial factor is storage. Oxford vaccine can be stored in a household refrigerator.
The need for sustained freezing throughout the vaccine journey from factory to clinic at ultra-low temperatures, as seen with the Pfizer vaccine, can be a problem for many countries, but especially poorer countries.
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The Oxford vaccine, based on a viral vector, is also cheaper (around US $ 4) than the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, around US $ 20 and US $ 33, respectively. AstraZeneca has made a “no profit pledge”.
EQUAL DISTRIBUTION
As I have discussed before, the equitable distribution of new vaccines is vital, especially for low- and middle-income countries that do not have the profile or purchasing power of the richest countries.
FILE PHOTO: Pfizer Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Vaccination Study Test Kits are viewed at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, USA on September 24, 2020. REUTERS / Marco Bello
GAVI, a global health association that aims to increase access to immunization in poor countries, has worked for years to address this very point. He established the COVAX initiative in 2020, which has access to 700 million doses of COVID vaccine if clinical trials are successful.
Oxford and AstraZeneca have previously pledged to provide 1 billion doses of their vaccine for low- and middle-income countries, with a commitment to provide 400 million doses by the end of 2020.
Certainly AstraZeneca is committed to providing more doses to countries outside of Europe and the US than any of its closest competitors.
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AN EXCELLENT START
These commitments clearly won’t be enough for immediate global coverage, but it’s an excellent start. About 9 percent of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty and the health systems that surround them are fragile.
With the promises of equitable distribution of vaccines, there is hope that the poorest populations around the world will not be forgotten. The global health community must focus on this area.
What does this announcement mean to the world? Potentially a large amount.
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But remember that the trials are not yet complete, and as of this writing, regulators have not yet approved any of the new vaccine candidates.
Even when those hurdles are overcome, we still have to vaccinate the world, which requires successfully navigating the complex hurdles of distance, terrain, politics, cold chain logistics, and human behavior.
The global pandemic is not over and it won’t for long, but the light is getting brighter.
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Michael Head is a senior researcher in global health at the University of Southampton. This comment first appeared on The Conversation.
