A Brazilian doctor voluntarily receives an injection as part of the phase 3 trials of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in July 2020.
Nelson Almeida | AFP | Getty Images
LONDON – The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has been authorized for emergency use in the UK, marking another step in the global battle against the pandemic.
The shot is expected to launch next week and will be added to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has so far been given to 600,000 people in the UK, according to government statistics.
In a statement, AstraZeneca said the first doses of the vaccine were being released Wednesday “so that vaccinations can begin early in the new year.”
He added that it “intends to supply millions of doses during the first quarter” as part of its agreement with the UK government to supply up to 100 million doses in total.
UK government minister Michael Gove had said on Monday that the approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could speed up the removal of strict closures in the country, which effectively canceled the Christmas holidays by the millions.
Cases have increased in London and the south of England, with significant pressure on hospitals. According to reports, a new variant of the coronavirus found in the UK is more transmissible and has led to travel restrictions for people who want to leave the country.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine allows the UK to significantly increase its inoculation program. It is also cheaper than others and does not need to be kept at extremely low temperatures.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral virus inoculation that is based on a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees. It is designed to prepare the immune system to attack the coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, if it subsequently infects the body.
Dr. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of the medical journal The Lancet, told CNBC in December that these benefits meant it could be used more effectively worldwide.
“The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is the vaccine right now that will be able to vaccinate the planet most effectively, faster than any other vaccine we have,” Horton said, adding that it was important to think about global vaccination. ” because, even if we immunize one country, the threat is to reintroduce the virus from another country that is not protected. “
Confusion over trial data in November sparked some criticism of AstraZeneca. Initial figures suggested that the vaccine may help reduce the spread of Covid-19, as well as prevent disease and death. This study also found that it was 62% effective for trial participants who received two full doses, but 90% for a subgroup who received half a dose followed by a full dose.
The head of Operation White House Warp Speed, Moncef Slaoui, and others in the United States have expressed concern about the proven age group, saying 90% effectiveness was only shown in the group. of lower risk, which had 2,741 people under 55 years of age.
– CNBC Sam Meredith contributed to this article.