AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said on Sunday that the British pharmaceutical company’s vaccine is believed to be effective against the new coronavirus strain detected in the UK
“So far, we think the vaccine must remain effective. But we can’t be sure, so let’s test it, ”said Soriot when asked how the vaccine could withstand the new variant of the virus.
The Associated Press reports that Soriot told the Sunday Times that AstraZeneca researchers have found a “winning formula” to make it as effective as that of Pfizer or Moderna, both of which have already been approved. The AstraZeneca vaccine should be approved this week, notes the AP.
“We think we have discovered the winning formula and how to achieve effectiveness that, after two doses, is up to everyone,” said Soriot.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, was not initially considered as effective as its American counterparts, with partial results suggesting that it is 70 percent effective in preventing diseases, reports the AP.
This new strain of the virus has raised alarm worldwide, with many countries limiting or banning travel from the UK. The variant is believed to be significantly more contagious than the pre-existing coronavirus strain, although it is not believed to be more deadly or cause more severe symptoms.
Moderna said last week that it also believes that its vaccine can effectively protect people against the new strain.
An important difference in the AstraZeneca vaccine is that, unlike the vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer, it is not an mRNA vaccine. These vaccines teach the immune system to create certain proteins that trigger an immune response without introducing the actual virus into the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention..
The AstraZeneca vaccine uses a weakened version of the virus itself to teach the immune system how to prevent it.
The United Kingdom was the first western country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, securing approval for Pfizer’s vaccine in early December. As of December 24, more than 600,000 were vaccinated in the UK, reports the AP.