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AstraZeneca vaccine did not effectively prevent the mild outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the South African mutant virus
A clinical trial result showed that the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) vaccine jointly developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University in the UK has limited effectiveness against mutant viruses in South Africa.
The University of Oxford and the University of Bittersland in South Africa conducted clinical trials on 2,000 people. Peer evaluation (a process by which experts in the same field review the author’s work in academic research) has not been conducted yet.
As a result, it was found that the AstraZeneca vaccine did not effectively prevent the mild and moderate symptoms of Corona 19 caused by the South African mutant virus.
The results of this clinical trial will be officially released on the 8th.
AstraZeneca spokesman said most of the trial participants were young and healthy, so the effects of the South African mutation in preventing severe illness, hospitalization or death cannot be determined.
However, he added that it is expected to be effective in preventing severe expression because its own vaccine has the same neutralizing antibody activity as other vaccines.
The University of Oxford told Reuters that AstraZeneca and the vaccine are being prepared for maintenance in case an update is needed. Researchers at Oxford-AstraZeneca said they would prepare a vaccine against the mutant virus by the fall of this year.
Corona 19 vaccine comparison
Dr. Michael Head, a senior researcher at global health at the University of Southampton, said the AstraZeneca vaccine was “but still pretty good,” if it was less effective against mild outbreaks from South African mutations, but effective in preventing severe outbreaks.
“You don’t have to worry too much right now,” Dr. Head told the BBC. “When the results of a more comprehensive clinical trial come out, we’ll be able to see what it means.”
Meanwhile, the AstraZeneca vaccine has been shown to maintain immune effects against the British mutant virus.
The vaccines released so far are designed based on the previous Corona 19 virus. Because of this, scientists see the need for continued vaccine research on new mutant viruses.
Experts say that vaccines that have already been developed can be updated to better respond to the new mutant virus in a relatively early period of time.