JOHANNESBURG (AP) – South Africa is considering giving a COVID-19 vaccine that is still in the testing phase for healthcare professionals, after suspending the implementation of another injection that preliminary data indicated was not effective in preventing mild illnesses a of the dominant variant in the country.
The country is struggling to propose a new vaccination strategy after suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine – which is cheaper and easier to handle than others and which many hoped would be crucial in fighting the pandemic in developing countries. Among the possibilities being considered: mixing the AstraZeneca vaccine with another and giving the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, which has not yet been authorized for use anywhere, to 100,000 health professionals, monitoring its effectiveness against the variant.
South Africa’s vaccination strategy is being observed globally because the variant first detected and now dominant here is spreading in more than 30 countries. Officials say this form of the virus is more contagious and evidence is emerging that it can be more virulent; Recent studies have also shown that it can infect people who have survived the original form of the virus.
After a second outbreak, cases and deaths in South Africa have started to decline recently, but it is still battling one of Africa’s most serious outbreaks, with more than 46,000 deaths. He fears that another peak will occur in May or June, when the southern hemisphere country enters winter.
So far, early results from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine tests have shown that it offers less protection against the variant than the original disease, but is still highly effective in preventing serious and fatal cases, according to Dr. Glenda Gray, director of the South Africa Medical Research Council, which led the South African part of the global test. A Novavax candidate vaccine showed similar results.
“We cannot wait. We already have good local data, ”said Gray, emphasizing that clinical trials show it is safe. She added that South Africa is making urgent plans to “implement and evaluate it in the field”.
“Our scientists must get together and quickly find out what approach we are going to use,” said Health Minister Zweli Mhkize on Sunday night, announcing the suspension of the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is currently the only one available in South Africa. third parties, including the one made by Pfizer and BioNTech, are expected soon.
The suspension disrupted South Africa’s vaccination plans just a week after the country received its first million doses of the vaccine. It came after the first results of a small clinical trial showed that the injection did not prevent mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 in young adults, according to an announcement from the University of Witwatersrand, which conducted the test.
The AstraZeneca study involved 2,000 healthy volunteers with an average age of 31 and showed that only 22% were protected against mild to moderate cases of the disease.
Experts say the vaccine can still prevent serious illnesses – and that would go a long way toward slowing down the pandemic and preventing hospitals from becoming overcrowded with patients.
“Vaccines that are effective against the most severe forms of the disease may not affect the milder forms, so there is optimism that the serious disease will still be prevented by vaccines,” said Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London.
But the results were disappointing enough that South African officials decided to postpone the launch of the vaccine, which should be given to frontline health professionals from mid-February.
The preliminary study was not peer-reviewed – the gold standard in scientific studies – but it was still “a reality check,” said Professor Shabir Madhi, who conducted the test. “We were euphoric. We must recalibrate our expectations. “
Now, the country is trying to change gears. He may end up continuing to administer at least one dose of AstraZeneca in the hope of protecting against serious illness and death from the variant. He is also considering combining the injection with another vaccine. Most vaccines tested require two doses; Johnson & Johnson is an exception.
An experimental study began last week in Britain – the first of its kind in the world – testing whether doctors could mix and match doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with the injection made by Pfizer and BioNTech.
An additional complication is that doses of AstraZeneca in South Africa expire in April, making it difficult to administer two doses in such a short period.
Last week, Sarah Gilbert of the University of Oxford, who helped develop the AstraZeneca vaccine, said the researchers are currently working to adjust their vaccine by inserting a genetic sequence for the new variant.
South African experts have conducted clinical trials on the effects of the variant, known as B.1.351. This variant quickly became more than 90% dominant here.
The variant reduced the level of protection offered by virtually all vaccines, but most vaccines have satisfactory effectiveness in protecting against severe cases and death caused by the version, Madhi said. Tests with the Novavax vaccine, for example, showed decreased, but still good, protection against the variant, he said.
“Not everything is disgrace and sadness … we have vaccines that work,” said Madhi.
Still, he added: “It is likely that this virus will stay with us for the course of our lives. It is unlikely to be eradicated soon. “