AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine arriving at a hospital in Haywards Heath, England, on the 2nd. The UK government on the 3rd announced that the vaccine was distributed across the country and that the vaccine would start on the 4th. Haywards Heath Reuters = Yonhap News
Next month, Korea is also planning to start vaccination against the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). The first vaccine to be given is AstraZeneca. However, as the controversy over obtaining a vaccine became fierce, the AstraZeneca vaccine was “is less effective than the Pfizer vaccine” and “there is a safety problem because the U.S. did not approve it,” and finally, “I want to get a good vaccine” It leads to. Is the AstraZeneca vaccine really the’second-class vaccine’? The opinions of experts from academia, industry and health authorities are summarized in a question and answer format. In conclusion, “No one knows yet what percentage of the final effect will be” is closer to the correct answer.
-The AstraZeneca vaccine is only 70% effective.
“The preventive effect of the AstraZeneca Corona 19 vaccine released in November last year was 70.4%. This is by no means low. The effectiveness of the flu (influenza) vaccine, which has been vaccinated for a long time, is similar or low. World Health Organization (WHO) And the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have suggested 50% of the baseline effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.”
-Still, isn’t it true that it is worse than the 95% Pfizer vaccine?
“Pfizer announced in November that the vaccine effect was 95%. The figure is 25% different from the AstraZeneca vaccine, but the clinical trial design itself makes it difficult to simply compare the two vaccines. All of the COVID-19 vaccines are clinical trials. It has been done for only a few months.. The figures released now are only initial effects. The effectiveness figures can change depending on various clinical variables. It should also be taken into account that the effectiveness of the vaccine must be monitored and judged from the original 6 months to more than a year. “
-Then, can the figures of 70% and 95% change?
“Vaccine effectiveness is calculated as the proportion of infected people who received and did not vaccinate among clinical trial participants. Since the clinical period for the COVID-19 vaccine was short, the number could be adjusted as many people actually get it in the future. The actual effect is likely to be lower than it is now. In addition, even if the actual effect is high, a low inoculation rate will reduce the overall preventive effect.”
-AstraZeneca vaccine has not been approved in the US yet.
“The approval of new drugs is decided by country. The United States is also subject to its own judgment, and the judgment of the United States is only a reference to us. The fact that the United States is not speeding up the approval of AstraZeneca vaccines may have worked quite a bit. It is presumed that AstraZeneca’s position in Europe is not enough, but it is not profitable to hurry to approve the US.”
-Are there any side effects that have appeared so far
“After the COVID-19 vaccine, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, fever, vomiting, allergic reactions, facial paralysis, and myelitis have been reported. However, most of them are not known to be directly related to the vaccine. The extent to which each person responds to the vaccine has been reported. Because they are different, the effects and side effects may be different.”
-Are there any possible serious side effects?
“Genetic vaccine (Pfizer) and virus carrier vaccine (AstraZeneca) are new technologies that were not used before Corona 19. It has not been proven that there are no side effects in the long term. In a way, thanks to Corona 19, it is commercialized without verification. In the case of corona vaccine, This is why long-term follow-up after vaccination is essential.”
-Vaccination is tricky.
“The most difficult thing to prepare is genetic vaccines such as Pfizer and Modena. We need to designate a separate center and have a freezer and vehicle. In particular, the Pfizer vaccine has its main ingredients and diluents in different containers, so you need to mix them before inoculation. The preparation procedure for the back is difficult. Training of vaccination personnel is essential.”
-Can I get another vaccine in the 1st and 2nd rounds?
“It has been reported that most of the COVID-19 vaccines have to be given twice to be effective. However, regarding the interval between vaccinations and the type of vaccine, each country has a different position. The Korean government is in principle that the same vaccine is administered twice at a fixed interval. .”
-Can British and South African mutant infections be prevented?
“The effectiveness of a vaccine against mutations depends on how much the mutation affects the key protein structure of the virus, rather than the mutation itself. If the mutation changes the protein structure, the vaccine’s effectiveness may decrease.”
Lim So-hyung reporter [email protected]
You can also view the news Naver Et edited by the Hankook Ilbo.
