The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is up for approval for emergency use in the United States. All looked good until a group of independent scientists claimed the company included dated results in its submission. U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases requested updated AstraZeneca efficacy data. Although in the end things remained much the same.
What Changed in the AstraZeneca Efficacy Report?
The U.S. trials are still ongoing, although the data is sufficiently bulky to be statistically reliable. Meanwhile, there are controversies regarding the vaccine’s safety in Europe, although these appear to be unfounded. AstraZeneca told BBC medical editor Fergus Walsh ‘it felt compelled’ to release the data when it reached the reliability threshold.
The interim data originally submitted set the overall efficacy rate at 79%. Although this rose to 80% for subjects aged over 65. The revised, up-to-date data adjusted these down to 76% and up to 85% respectively. So this was just a flash in the pan really. However, Fergus Walsh did mention AstraZeneca may have experienced reputational damage due to the public ‘ticking off’.
The ‘Official Status’ of AstraZeneca Vaccine Now
The overall AstraZeneca efficacy is still below 90% compared to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in U.S. However, it has several strong points where it appears to score better:
1… The trials suggest the vaccine is ‘100% effective at preventing severe cases of the disease’.
2… The AstraZeneca jab stores at fridge temperature, an advantage in low and middle income countries.
The numbers have not moved much, Fergus Walsh says, begging the question why the incident was so public. The company may have rushed the results because they contain no evidence of blood clots, he surmises. This could be another strong advantage nowadays.
For the sake of completeness, AstraZeneca is producing its vaccine at cost for the duration of the pandemic. Whereas some other vaccine producers may profit significantly in parts of the world.
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Preview Image: Authorization and Eligibility of Vaccine
