AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine AZD1222 70% efficacy can be good news than that of Pfizer and Moderna despite them declaring early reports of higher protection from the virus.
AstraZeneca-Oxford initial results have shown promising prospects, both in medical terms and for markets such as India. Here are the reasons:-
1. Efficiency:- The company’s analysis shows a remarkable difference in efficacy which depends on the amount of vaccine given to a participant. Doses were administered in two regimens, two full doses given in a month alone showed just 62 per cent efficiency while surprisingly participants who received a lower amount of the vaccine in a first dose and then the full amount in the second dose were found to be 90 per cent less likely to develop Covid, compared with participants in the placebo group.
The half dose giving higher protection is good news as there will be more doses to vaccinate a larger population.
The reason why the half dose has given better protection is that this regimen probably copies the body’s natural response to an infection. The dose fights back the infection which is affected by the first set of antibodies — phagocytes, interferons and cytokines — before a more tailored attack is mounted by the specialised neutralising antibodies — the B-cells and the T-cells.
2. Effectiveness across age groups; effect on asymptomatic cases:- The Oxford vaccine has shown effectiveness on all age groups, including the elderly along with the ability to reduce asymptomatic infection. Both these aspects are an advantage for the drug making company.
If the Oxford-AZ vaccine is better at tackling symptomatic spread, the countries would be able to stop the virus in its tracks and it can’t transmit from person to person. Also, no adverse event or hospitalisation happened to 23,000 volunteers who took the vaccine shot.
3. Easy to store and distribute:- The Oxford-AZ vaccine candidate can be stored up closer to normal fridge temperatures, unlike the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which requires a negative 20-80 degrees Celsius. This will also make it easy to distribute and administer the vaccine also cheaper and faster for people.
The Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine can be transported under normal refrigerated temperatures of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. For supplying the vaccine, the normal supply chain for vaccines that are currently used across countries such as India can be employed, especially to the rural areas where cold chain logistics are limited.
4. Affordable:- The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be affordable and it has reached agreements with governments and international health organisations such as Gavi its per dose will cost about $2.50.
Whereas, Pfizer’s vaccine costs about $20 a dose, while Moderna’s is as high as $25.
It is also said that Oxford-AZ vaccine could get even cheaper, as the finding shows a smaller first dose is more effective than a larger one.
Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine: People may feel sick after vaccine doses, warns doctors
5. Indians could first get the Oxford-AZ as it is being produced in India:- The Pune-based company Serum Institute of India’s Covishield is a modified version of AZD122 and presently is undergoing late-stage human trials. If successful, this could be the first vaccine to immunise people. Plus, the results of the Oxford-AZ vaccine could be extremely positive news for Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, which uses a technology similar to AZD1222 — the non-replicating viral vector method.
The Sputnik V vaccine is also undergoing trials in India, at Dr Reddy’s Labs, Hyderabad.
No Indian firm has associated with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.