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AstraZeneca says its coronavirus vaccine can stop severe disease despite 'limited' success against South African variant

Posted 5h ago

[...]

British company AstraZeneca says it believes its COVID-19 vaccine developed with Oxford University can protect against severe disease caused by the South African variant of the virus.

Key points:

* Around 2,000 people took part in the trial

* None of the participants were hospitalised or died after receiving the vaccine

* But it showed "limited efficacy" against mild disease due to the South African variant

But AstraZeneca confirmed that early data from a small trial had shown only limited efficacy for the vaccine against mild disease primarily due to this variant.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-07/astrazeneca-says-covid-vaccine-stop-severe-disease-south-africa/13130086

"Why Oxford’s positive COVID vaccine results are puzzling scientists
[...]
But the analysis found a striking difference in efficacy, depending on the amount of vaccine delivered to a participant. A regimen consisting of two full doses given a month apart looked to be just 62% effective. But, surprisingly, participants who received a lower amount of the vaccine in a first dose and then the full amount in the second dose were 90% less likely to develop COVID, compared with participants in the placebo arm."