Many people have breathed a big sigh of relief when AstraZeneca announced that their vaccine was effective against COVID-19. There were now two drugs that could help fight the pandemic. It was exciting and something to look forward to. It would be the same feeling felt when faced with vulkan bet. While it was undoubtedly a good reason to celebrate, it had to be accepted that it would not be ideal for use worldwide.
Why Are Some Countries Concerned?
COVID-19 has been mutating, and there are worries that some of the mutations may not be defeated by the vaccine. One study has shown that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not fully effective against some of them. It is a concern, but there is still a lot of confusion as there has only been a small trial. The main problem is the effectiveness when it comes to mild symptoms. There has also been a question regarding severe symptoms, but here the vaccine seems to do better.
The Team Behind the Drug
The team was always optimistic when it came to production and distribution. They were convinced that they could be distributed by September 2020. That on its own should not have been a problem. It became one when world leaders started giving unrealistic dates for their own countries to begin vaccinating. When there were delays in the clinical trials, some began to question the data released. The 90% effectiveness claimed turned out to be not relatively that straightforward. Only 90% of people had been given a lower dose on the second jab than required. The data that was put forward was too confusing to other scientists.
Comparisons
There will be comparisons between the AstraZeneca injection and the ones developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Their figures were initially questioned, but they had the data to show that there were no problems. Presenting it gave scientists the reassurances they needed.
South Africa
It is in South Africa where there seems to be the most concern. There is an acceptance that it will be effective against the most severe cases, leading to a hospital stay or even death. The outcome has been that they are carrying out more tests to see if it works against the mutation found in their country.
Outcome
If there is clear evidence that the vaccine will help save lives and prevent serious illnesses, it will work well in many locations. The next step for AstraZeneca is to find out where they will be most effective and if they can combat all strains of the virus. A great deal of data needs to be analyzed, and a lot is riding on the results. If some variants seem to be resistant or even semi resistant, then there will have to be some additional research carried out and modifications made. They will need to move quickly if they want to be a big player in exiting the pandemic.
