The head of the company behind the Oxford Covid vaccine said the researchers believe the vaccine will be effective against the variant strain of the virus that was first found in the UK.
AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot told the Sunday Times that more testing is needed to be sure, but praised the discovery of what he called a “winning formula” to improve the vaccine’s effectiveness.
As Spain, Sweden and Canada joined the growing list of countries that reported cases of the most contagious variant, Soirot said: “So far, we think the vaccine must remain effective. But we can’t be sure, so let’s try this out. “
The government has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, with about 40 million available by the end of March.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that the vaccine could be launched en masse from 4 January, although a government spokesman said in response that the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency should have time to do its job.
“The drug regulator is reviewing the final data from the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca phase three clinical trials to determine whether the vaccine meets strict standards for quality, safety and efficacy,” said the spokesman.
“We must now give the MHRA time to do its important work and we must wait for its advice.”
There have been some concerns that the Oxford vaccine may not be as good as preventing symptomatic illnesses like other vaccines, such as that of Pfizer, which is already being distributed.
Soriot said: “We think we have found the winning formula and how to achieve effectiveness that, after two doses, is up to everyone.
“I can’t say any more because we are going to publish at some point.”
Of the figures already released showing up to 90% effectiveness in those who received half a dose followed by a full dose, he told the Sunday Times: “We would have preferred a simpler set of results, but in general we think they are positive, they meet the established criteria. by regulators worldwide. “
“We assumed that people would be a little disappointed, for sure,” he continued.
“But we didn’t expect that storm.”
AstraZeneca’s publication of the unexpected results and the temporary suspension of its tests caused concern in the Food and Drug Administration, which approves vaccines.
Soirot’s comments come at a time when more countries in Europe are starting to implement their vaccination programs, with Hungary on Saturday, administering injections of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech to frontline staff in hospitals in the capital, Budapest.
Countries including France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Portugal and Spain are planning to start mass vaccination, starting with health professionals on Sunday. Outside the EU, Britain, Switzerland and Serbia have already started.
France, which received its first shipment of the two-dose vaccine on Saturday, will begin administering it in the Paris metropolitan area and the Burgundy-Franche-Comte region.
Germany said trucks were on their way to deliver the vaccine to nursing homes, which are the first in line to receive the vaccine on Sunday.
Argentina, meanwhile, will start immunizing its citizens on Tuesday, after becoming the third country to approve the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.
Argentine President Alberto Fernández and provincial governors said on Saturday that health personnel will receive vaccines in less than 72 hours. About 300,000 doses arrived in Argentina on Thursday, and subsequent shipments are expected in early 2021. Russia on Saturday, Sputnik V was approved for use by people over 60.
Argentina, the third largest economy in Latin America, was hit hard by Covid-19 and recorded almost 1.6 million cases of the coronavirus and 42,501 deaths from the disease. The fear of a second wave is growing.
In other developments:
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O WE the government will require all airline passengers arriving from Britain to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure, starting on Monday.
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As unemployment insurance was about to expire for millions of Americans on Saturday, Donald Trump, who spent Christmas playing golf in Florida, continued to block a $ 900 billion pandemic relief account that would extend them.
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France did not rule out the imposition of a third national blockade if coronavirus cases continue to increase, said his health minister on Sunday, as the country is preparing for a possible post-Christmas increase.