South Africa also holds Astra after Switzerland… “Can’t stop the stool”

South Africa has decided to withhold the use of the COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University in the UK. This is the second time the vaccine has been put on hold after Switzerland.

According to the British Guardian on the 7th (local time) South African Health Minister Zwelly Mkije held a press conference and announced that he would withhold the vaccine for the time being and wait for further judgment from scientists.

South Africa, which received 1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine on the 1st, was scheduled to start vaccinating medical staff soon. However, when questions were raised about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, it was decided to withhold the vaccination and stock up on the vaccine until additional data are available.

Instead, they decided to use a vaccine purchased from Pfizer-Bioentech and Johnson & Johnson. “At present, there is a greater expectation that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be effective in serious symptoms than the AstraZeneca vaccine,” said Shavir Madi, a professor of vaccination at the University of Wattersland, who led the clinical trial in South Africa.

The South African Ministry of Health’s decision reflects the findings of a study that the AstraZeneca vaccine does not have a significant preventive effect against the mutant virus (501Y.V2) that has spread in the region.

Previously, the University of Oxford and the University of South Africa’s University of Bittersland tested 2026 people. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine did not prevent the mild and severe symptoms caused by the South African mutation.

AstraZeneca said, “The effect was limited in mild cases,” he said. “Most of the test participants were young and healthy adults, so we couldn’t find out what effect it had in severe onset or hospitalization.”

Last 3 days Switzerland has withheld approval for the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This is because the data submitted by AstraZeneca are insufficient, making it difficult to properly evaluate the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

In addition, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden and Norway recommended that elderly people 65 years of age or older should not get the AstraZeneca vaccine. In Belgium, immunizations were limited to under 55, Poland to under 60, and Finland to under 70. Italy initially recommended use under the age of 55, but issued an amendment that the inoculation is possible if people over 55 are healthy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has postponed approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine altogether.. This is because the effectiveness of AstraZeneca was lower than that of Pfizer and Modena vaccine, which showed 95% prevention effect, at an average of 70%. In addition, safety issues were raised, such as the onset of transverse myelitis, a neurological symptom during clinical trials, and failure to explain why the effect was better when the dose was reduced.

AstraZeneca is currently undergoing phase 3 trials after having suspended clinical trials in the United States twice. Results will be available as early as the end of March, and it is expected to be approved for use by the FDA in April.

South Korea, which has signed a contract to purchase 10 million vaccines with AstraZeneca, will bring in 750,000 people first in the last week of February. However, it has not yet been determined whether to include elderly people 65 years of age or older as immunization targets.

Earlier, at the first verification group advisory meeting on the 1st, many of the advisory groups made an opinion that vaccinations for the elderly over the age of 65 were possible and concluded that they could grant conditionally. However, at the second advisory meeting on the 4th, a final conclusion could not be reached.

The health authorities plan to decide whether to use the AstraZeneca vaccine at the final inspection committee of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 10th, and adjust the vaccination plan through the vaccination committee of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

AstraZeneca said its vaccine had a limited effect on mutations in South Africa. In the long term, it is claimed to be effective in reducing hospitalization, severe, and death cases caused by Corona 19.

“We are working closely with the Ministry of Health of South Africa to prevent serious diseases caused by mutations in South Africa,” AstraZeneca spokesman said in a statement. Said.

therefore It also announced plans to develop and produce next-generation vaccines to cope with mutations in South Africa by the fall of this year..

Reporter Lee Min-jung [email protected]