South Africa said on Sunday it would halt the launch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after initial tests showed “disappointing” results against COVID-19 variant B.1.351.
The country received 1 million doses of the jab. He had planned to start using it to vaccinate frontline health workers in mid-February.
The study, involving about 2,000 people, found that the vaccine offers “minimal protection” against mild and moderate cases of COVID-19. It has not yet been peer reviewed.
Zweli Mkhize, South Africa’s health minister, says frontline healthcare professionals will receive jabs produced by other manufacturers.
“We have decided to temporarily suspend the launch of the vaccine (AstraZeneca). More work needs to be done,” said South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.
Scientists will study whether or not the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in preventing serious illness and death from the new variant, said Mkhize.
South Africa still looking at vaccination campaign
Instead, the government will offer vaccines produced by Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer in the coming weeks.
This most recent strain is more infectious and currently accounts for more than 90% of COVID-19 cases in the country.
South Africa plans to vaccinate at least 67% of its population by the end of the year, or about 40 million people.
He recorded nearly 1.5 million infections and more than 46,000 deaths from the virus.
Developers promise modified jab in the fall
Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developers say they will have a modified jab ready by the end of this summer.
Sarah Gilbert, chief researcher at the Oxford team, told the BBC on Sunday that “we have a version with the South African peak sequence in progress”.
“It seems very likely that we can have a new version ready for use in the fall,” she added.
The first results of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the South African variant may have far-reaching implications for the fight against coronavirus on the continent.
Many African nations planned to use AstraZeneca injection due to its affordable price and the fact that it can be kept in ordinary refrigerators
COVAX, an international procurement initiative for poorer countries, purchased the AstraZeneca vaccine in bulk from the Serum Institute of India.
jf / aw (AFP, AP)