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The director of the company behind the Oxford Covid vaccine has said that researchers believe the prick will be effective against the variant strain of the virus that was first found in the UK.
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot told the Sunday Times more tests were needed to be sure, but praised the discovery of what he called a “winning formula” to improve the vaccine’s effectiveness.
As Spain, Sweden and Canada joined the growing list of countries that have reported cases of the most contagious variant, Soirot said: “Until now, we believe that the vaccine should remain effective. But we can’t be sure, so let’s test that. “
The government ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, and about 40 million will be available by the end of March.
The Sunday Telegraph has reported that the vaccine could be launched en masse from January 4, although a government spokesman said in response that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency should have time to carry out its work.
“The drug regulator is reviewing the final data from Oxford University / AstraZeneca phase three clinical trials to determine whether the vaccine meets its strict standards for quality, safety and efficacy,” the spokesperson said.
“Now we must give the MHRA time to carry out its important work and we must await their advice.”
There have been some concerns that the Oxford vaccine may not be as good at preventing symptomatic disease as the other vaccines such as Pfizer’s that are already in the market.
Soriot said: “We think we have discovered the winning formula and how to achieve an efficacy that, after two doses, is on par with all the others.
“I can’t tell you more because we will publish at some point.”
Of the already published figures showing up to 90% effectiveness in those who received a half dose followed by a full dose, he told the Sunday Times: “We would have preferred a simpler set of results, but overall we think they are positive, meet criteria set by regulators around the world. “
“We assume people would be a little disappointed, that’s for sure,” he continued.
“But we weren’t expecting that storm.”
AstraZeneca’s publication of the unexpected results, and the temporary suspension of its trials, reportedly caused concern in the US Food and Drug Administration, which approves the vaccines.
Soirot’s comments come as more countries in Europe begin to implement their vaccination programs, with Hungary on Saturday giving injections of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech to front-line workers in hospitals in the capital, Budapest.
Countries included France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Portugal and Spain they plan to start mass vaccinations, starting with health workers on Sunday. Outside the EU, Britain, Switzerland and Serbia have already started.
France, which received its first shipment of the two-dose vaccine on Saturday, will begin administering it in the Paris metropolitan area and in the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region.
Germany said trucks were on their way to deliver the vaccine to nursing homes, which are first in line to receive the vaccine on Sunday.
ArgentinaMeanwhile, it will begin immunizing its citizens on Tuesday after becoming the third country to approve Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.
Argentine President Alberto Fernández and provincial governors said on Saturday that health personnel would receive their vaccinations in less than 72 hours. About 300,000 doses arrived in Argentina on Thursday with subsequent shipments expected in early 2021. Russia on Saturday it approved Sputnik V for use by people over 60.
Argentina, the third largest economy in Latin America, has been severely affected by Covid-19 and has registered almost 1.6 million cases of the coronavirus and 42,501 deaths from the disease. Fears of a second wave are growing.
In other developments:
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the US The government will require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure starting Monday.
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With unemployment benefits due to expire for millions of Americans on Saturday, Donald Trump, who spent Christmas golfing in Florida, continued to block a $ 900 billion pandemic aid bill that would extend them.
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South Korea is considering stricter restrictions for the Seoul metropolitan area after reporting 970 new coronavirus cases by Saturday, bringing the national count to 56,872 cases, with 808 deaths. It was the smallest daily total in five days, but still not far behind the record of 1,241 infections recorded on Friday.
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France It has not ruled out imposing a third nationwide lockdown if coronavirus cases continue to rise, its health minister said on Sunday, as the country prepares for a possible post-Christmas rebound.
