LONDON (Reuters) – Oxford and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines can be 80% effective when there are three months between shots, said an official involved in approving the vaccine in Britain, but there is no evidence to enough to support a half-dose regimen.
“Efficacy was high, up to 80%, when there was a three-month interval between the first and second doses, which is the reason for our recommendation,” said Munir Pirmohamed, Chair of the Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on COVID-19 vaccines, he said Wednesday.
“We also looked at the half-dose rule, which was widely published, but we felt that the results were not confirmed by the full analysis,” he said at a news conference where the Medicines Regulatory Agency treatment and Healthcare Outcomes UK (MHRA) gave its conclusion.
Reporting by Alistair Smout, Paul Sandle and Kate Holton; edited by Guy Faulconbridge