After performing a new in-depth analysis of its major U.S. trial, pharmaceutical corporation AstraZeneca has declared its COVID-19 vaccine to be 76% effective at preventing serious cases of the illness. This figure is slightly lower than the rate that was mentioned earlier this week in a report that relied on outdated information.
U.S. health officials highly criticized the British-Swedish biotech company for not using up-to-date information in its earlier report, which stated that the COVID-19 vaccine had achieved an efficacy rate of 79%. While the latest analysis returned a slightly lower success rate, AstraZeneca Executive Vice President Mene Pangalos expressed confidence in his company’s COVID-19 vaccine’s performance, stating, “The primary analysis is consistent with our previously released interim analysis, and confirms that our COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective in adults, including those aged 65 years and over.”
He further added that AstraZeneca is on route to filing a regulatory submission for Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S., where it hopes to roll out millions of doses.
According to Jason Tetro, infectious disease expert in Canada and author of “The Germ Code”, AstraZeneca’s latest study should increase the public’s trust in the vaccine as well as facilitate its approval in the United States. Paul Griffin, professor at the University of Queensland in Australia, said that AstraZeneca’s vaccine appears to be a highly effective choice with minimal safety concerns.
