A Brazilian doctor voluntarily receives an injection as part of a phase 3 trial of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, in July 2020.
Nelson Almeida | AFP | Getty Images
LONDON – The coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca has been approved for emergency use in the UK, marking another step in the global battle against the pandemic.
The bullet is expected to be released next week and added to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine given to 600,000 people in the UK so far, according to government statistics.
UK government minister Michael Gove said on Monday that his agreement could accelerate the lifting of tight locks in the country, which effectively prevented Christmas receptions for millions. Matters have arisen in London and the south of England with great pressure on hospitals. A new version of coronavirus found in the UK is reported to be easier to administer and has restricted travel for people wishing to leave the country.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine allows the UK to dramatically ramp up its inoculation program as the government has prescribed 100 million doses. It is also cheaper than others and does not need to be kept at ultra-low temperatures.
AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral vector inoculation based on a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees. It is designed to prioritize the immune system to attack the coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, if it later affects the body.
Dr. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of the medical journal Lancet, told CNBC in December that these benefits meant it could be used globally more efficiently.
“The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is the current vaccine that is going to be able to vaccinate the planet more effectively, faster than any other vaccine we have,” said Horton, adding that it was important to think about a global vaccine vaccine “because even if we give a vaccine to one country, the danger then is that you are returning the virus from another unprotected country.”
AstraZeneca has been the subject of some criticism of its test data in November. Initial figures suggested that the vaccine can help reduce Covid-19 transmission, as well as prevent illness and death. That study also found that it had a 62% efficacy for trial participants who received two full doses, but 90% for a subgroup that received half-dose and a subsequent full dose.
White House Head of Operation Warp Speed Moncef Slaoui and others in the U.S. have expressed concern about the confirmed age group, saying the 90% effectiveness was only shown for the most at-risk group lowest, with 2,741 people under the age of 55.
– CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this article.