South Africa will stop using AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, saying it is ineffective against variants
According to a press release from Oxford University, a 2-dose regimen of the ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine provided minimal protection against moderate to severe infection caused by the B.1.351 variant first discovered in South Africa.1 The strain has several changes in the spike protein, and although there is currently no evidence to suggest that it affects the depth of disease, some evidence suggests that spike protein mutations may affect neutralization with some polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies.2
In the new analysis, submitted as a pre-publication prior to peer review, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand and others found that sera-induced viral neutralization was induced. ChAdOx1 vaccine against version B.1.351 is significantly reduced compared to the original strain of COVID-19. The early data were submitted for peer review, and the press release said the findings appear to confirm the theory that mutations in the virus seen in Africa will be -South allows continuous distribution even in vaccine numbers.1
The study included approximately 2000 volunteers at an average age of 31 years. Mild disease was defined as at least 1 symptom of COVID-19, and the press release stated that they were unable to assess protection against moderate illness to hospital, hospital, or death because the target population was at such a low risk. .1
According to the press release, researchers are working to create a second generation of the vaccine, modified to target changes with mutations similar to B.1.351.1 In a statement, the lead researcher of the trial Shabir Madhi, PhD, said that recent data from other studies suggest that protection against more severe disease may still be effective with the vaccine.1
“Recent data from a Janssen-supported study in South Africa, which assessed moderate to severe disease, rather than mild disease, using a similar viral vector, indicated that the points of disease were protected. important to maintain that, “Madhi said in the press release.” These decisions rebalance thinking about how to deal with the pandemic virus and shift the focus from the goal of herd protection against transmission. to protect all those at risk from population against serious disease. “1
Reported by Reuters, the South African government is awaiting advice from scientists on how to proceed. The country hopes to vaccinate 40 million people to achieve a level of herd protection, but it did not have to give a single vaccine as it did on Sunday.3 It will begin offering the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines to health workers in the coming weeks.3
“This study confirms that the pandemic coronavirus will find ways to continue the spread in vaccine numbers, as would be expected, however, with the promising results from other studies in South Africa using vector Like virals, vaccines can continue to reduce the tax on the health of care systems by preventing serious disease, ”Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, said in a press release.1
REFERENCES
- ChAdOx1 n-Cov-19 provides minimal protection against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection from B.351 coronavirus differentiation in young South African adults [news release]. Oxford University; 7 February 2021. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-02-07-chadox1-ncov-19-provides-minimal-protection-against-mild-moderate-covid-19-infection. Accessed February 8, 202
- Antrim, A. COVID-19 Variants raise new questions about vaccines. Pharmacy Times; February 4, 2021. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/covid-19-variants-raise-new-questions-about-vaccines. Accessed February 8, 2021.
- Winning A, Kumwenda-Mtambo O. South Africa seizes AstraZeneca vaccines on variable data. Reuters; February 8, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-safrica/south-africa-halts-astrazeneca-vaccinations-over-variant-data-idUSKBN2A70PY. Accessed February 8, 2021.