All the news (not exciting) about the Astrazeneca vaccine
South Africa suspends the Astrazeneca vaccination campaign: the vaccine appears to be ineffective in countering the local variant
South Africa has suspended the Astrazeneca vaccine inoculation plans . According to a clinical study, the vaccine would have limited efficacy in countering the regional variant of Covid-19, B.1.351. At the moment, Pfizer-Biontech vaccines and the one developed by Janssen, controlled by Johnson & Johnson, for which emergency use has been requested, will be administered in the country.
And pending further studies on the variants, according to Pietro Di Lorenzo of Irbm, the EMA could soon revise the general efficacy of the Astrazeneca vaccine upwards.
All the details.
THE VACCINAL PLANS OF SOUTH AFRICA
Last week, South Africa received the first million doses of the vaccine produced by Astrazeneca and developed by the University of Oxford, in collaboration with the Italian Irbm. The planned country is expected to launch the vaccination campaign with this drug, which uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus), starting in mid-February, starting, as for the Italy, by health workers.
THE STOP OF THE VACCINAL CAMPAIGN
Campaign, however, which may not start. The country has decided, writes Politico , not to start with the administration of the vaccine, since a small clinical study has shown that the antidote of Astrazeneca offers only "minimal protection against the mild to moderate disease" caused by the variant in the South Africa, as announced by Astrazeneca itself.
THE TRIAL OF THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE IN SOUTH AFRICA
The trial of the Astrazeneca vaccine to evaluate its effectiveness against the South African variant, not yet peer-reviewed, involved 2,000 people, with an average age of 31 years.
All the young people were in good health. And for this reason the experimentation has evaluated only the effectiveness of protection. "Protection against moderate to severe illness, hospitalization or death was not assessed in this study as the target population was at such low risk," reads a statement released by the University of Oxford and the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
THE WORDS OF THE MINISTER OF SOUTH AFRICA
"The AstraZeneca vaccine appeared effective against the original strain, but not against the local variant," commented health minister Zweli Mkhize. "We have decided to temporarily suspend the launch of the vaccine …".
The variant of South Africa (contains a mutation of the characteristic spike protein of the virus), more contagious and aggressive, represents 90% of the cases of Covid-19 in the country. "However, the studies will continue", adds Minister Mkhize, explaining that the audience of the clinical study will be enlarged to evaluate whether the Astrazeneca vaccine is effective or not in preventing serious illness and death.
THE WHO MEETING
Today, writes Ansa , the WHO group of independent experts on vaccinations will meet to evaluate the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine against variants.
THE POINT OF THE ISS
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health makes a point on the effectiveness of vaccines against variants. “At the moment the vaccines appear to be fully effective on the English variant, while for the South African and Brazilian ones there may be a decrease in efficacy. Several studies are underway around the world to answer the question ”, explains the ISS.
TOWARDS A NEW VERSION OF THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE?
And for this Astrazeneca continues the research. "We have a version with the South African peaks sequence in the works," Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher of the Oxford team , told the BBC . "It is very likely that we can have a new version of the vaccine ready for use in the fall," Gilbert added.
SOUTH AFRICA RELIES ON PFIZER AND J&J
And waiting for the autumn, South Africa intends to rely on two distinct vaccines in the fight against Covid-19: that of Pfizer-Biontech, already approved and ready for use, and that developed by Janssen, subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, whose studies are under review for approval for emergency use.
According to reports by some South African scientists, writes Politico, clinical trials for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine show good results against the variant.
CAPOBIANCHI: BE CAREFUL NOT TO GENERATE DISTRUST IN VACCINES
The evidence, however, is not so alarming for Maria Capobianchi, a virologist at Spallanzani.
“The numbers of vaccinated subjects on which this information is based are still very small. Furthermore, these are not real studies but data from the so-called real life. Even from Brazil, where another variant is widespread, also with alterations of the Spike protein, preliminary indications arrive in the same sense. These are news that risk spreading unjustified alarm and must be supported by scientifically solid data ”, explains the virologist in an interview with Corriere della Sera .
“We need to avoid the risk of mistrust of vaccination. The attention of the scientific community on variants is maximum, no one has an interest in denying their existence and potential importance. If the (solid) data showed a reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines, the remedy would be because current technologies make it possible to adjust their composition with relative ease. But we need evidence, not simple impressions ”, explains Capobianchi, also underlining that the virus does not have“ a marked variability ”.
DI LORENZO: EMA COULD SEE ASTRAZENECA'S EFFECTIVENESS UP
Unjustified distrust according to what the words of Piero Di Lorenzo, managing director of Irbm of Pomezia, who collaborated in the development of the vaccine, suggest.
"The supply" of the serum "will soon be fully operational and the effectiveness could rise to 82% after a re-evaluation of the EMA", Di Lorenzo said in an interview with the press. “AstraZeneca has concluded other trials showing 76% efficacy with one dose, rising to 82 with the second after three months, with peaks of 92. Furthermore, the percentage discovered would not develop the disease severely. The new study was sent to the Lancet magazine and will arrive at the EMA in a few days ”.
Di Lorenzo also spoke about the timing of the delivery of the doses. “AstraZeneca is making an effort to catch up on January deliveries. As far as I know, another 350,000 doses will arrive by the 14th and 700,000 by the 25th. We work for a further 4 million in March ”.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/tutte-le-novita-non-esaltanti-sul-vaccino-astrazeneca/ on Mon, 08 Feb 2021 11:18:48 +0000.