A Brazilian doctor voluntarily receives an injection as part of the phase 3 tests of a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, in July 2020.
Nelson Almeida | AFP | Getty Images
LONDON – The coronavirus vaccine under development by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has been authorized for emergency use in the United Kingdom, marking another step in the global battle against the pandemic.
The vaccine is due to be launched 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 that the first doses of the vaccine were being launched on Wednesday “so that vaccinations can begin at the beginning of the new year”.
He added that he “intends to supply millions of doses in the first quarter” as part of his agreement with the UK government to supply up to 100 million doses in total.
UK government minister Michael Gove said on Monday that approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could speed up the lifting of rigid blockages in the country, which effectively canceled Christmas festivities for millions.
Cases have increased in London and southern England, with significant pressure being put on hospitals. A new variant of coronavirus found in the UK is reportedly more transmissible and has led to travel restrictions for people who wish 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 maintained in ultra low temperatures.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral vector inoculation 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 advantages meant that it could be used more effectively around the world.
“The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is the vaccine now that will be able to immunize the planet more effectively and faster than any other vaccine we have,” said Horton, adding that it is important to think about immunizing the vaccine on a global scale “because even if we immunize one country, the threat is to reintroduce the virus from another country that is not protected. “
The confusion over test data in November led to some criticism of AstraZeneca. Initial figures suggested that the vaccine may help to reduce the spread of Covid-19, as well as prevent disease and death. That study also found that it was 62% effective for trial participants who received two full doses, but 90% for a subgroup that received half a dose followed by a full dose.
The White House chief of Operation Warp Speed, Moncef Slaoui, and others in the U.S. expressed concern about the age group tested, saying that 90% effectiveness was demonstrated only for the lowest risk group, which totaled 2,741 people with less 55 years old.
– CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this article.